Eddie's top surgery fundraiser

Hey pals,

I'm Eddie (he/him), a 27-year-old bisexual transfag, currently living in Edinburgh and doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh.

I came out as trans and began my transition in 2019, and have been on testosterone since January 2022. Over that time, the dysphoria I feel around my chest makes me so unhappy and uncomfortable that I bind all the time - at home, at work, even at the gym. I'm desperate to experience the freedom that top surgery would give me: to dance shirtless in a club, swim topless in a river, or sunbathe at the beach, without worrying about people's attention going straight to my chest and being misgendered.

The current wait-time for top surgery on the NHS in Edinburgh is 6+ years, and I just can't wait that long, so I'm exploring options privately. I've been saving up, but there's only so much I can do when I'm living on a PhD stipend and already paying to access hormones privately.

In the past I've donated to, and fundraised for, the gender affirming surgery of other trans folks, and now I'm asking for your support to help me feel comfortable and at home in my body. I'm hoping to raise £3500 by Summer 2023, to enable me to get top surgery before the end of my PhD, so that I can finally experience that freedom (and take advantage of my PhD programme's generous sick leave allowance to recover).

I know things are tough financially for a lot of people right now, but if you can spare anything at all, it would mean a lot to me. And if you can't donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser to help me reach more people, you never know who might be able to help.

Much love,

Eddie