Hello, it’s me Anna and I need help covering my costs while recovering from surgery.

I’ve been trying to get bottom surgery from the NHS since back in mid-2017.

My wait was frustrated by a series of unfortunate circumstances.

.When I first asked to be referred to the GIC I was instead sent to Phyco-Dynamic Phyco-therapy. In the six additional months it too me to get referred GIC wait lists had tripled costing me two and a half years.

.The pandemic paused surgeries costing me around a year

.I needed hair removal which cost me nearly two years which was extremely frustrating as A) shortly before I was assessed patients who needed it got hair removal got it while waiting to see the surgeon for the first time so I would have been done while I waited and B) I wouldn’t have needed hair removal if it wasn’t for the first two delays.

I recently met with my Surgeon and was offered a surgery date just twenty-four days in the future.

While I could have asked for a later date to try and save up a little the string of delays has put as serious strain on my mental health and I just couldn’t stand the thought of living in a body I feel so repulsed by any longer.

However this puts me in a difficult financial, made worse by the fact that two days before I was robbed on the way back from London. I fell asleep in a vestibule with my cash in my handbag which wasn’t smart, but in the previous few days I had just worked myself to a point of mental and physical exhaustion knowing that soon I’d be unable to work for several months.

I was probably going to have to ask for help regardless but the short time scale of my surgery, and financial loss of being robbed have left me asking for much more than I was hoping too.

I’d like to make this, the only time in my life I can foresee that I’ll need this type of help, the occasion that I cash in any good will that I’ve built up over the years with the Nottingham LGBT community.

To list a few of the things I’ve done for the community I:

.Founded Notts Trans Pride

. Have been Nottingham Against Transphobias longest serving leader

.Organised or co organised every TERF counter protest in Nottingham since the first Posey Parker counter protest

.Attended meeting with: Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire Police and the NHS to represent trans interests

. Organised and co organised a huge number of pro trans protests in the city

.Participated in a large number of interviews, often hostile, with outlets including the BBC, Pink News and Capital Radio

.Been the centre of a hate campaign (organised by the number two of a TERF I arranged the counter protest against)

.Given pro trans speeches at events I didn’t organise such of Notts Pride which I’ve spoken at most years since 2019

and various other small contributions to the community.

I’ve never accepted payment for anything I’ve done in the realm of activism. I’ve only fund raised twice once for stickers and once for a megaphone both of which I published receipts for. I’ve declined to apply for funding I could have for fear of depriving other charitable ventures. Even the first Notts Trans Pride was pulled off with zero budget. I asked charity and private backers to pay for what I needed directly; most venues were donated to the event for free.

If you’d like to reward me for my efforts or just help me in my time of need, I deeply appreciate all contributions regardless of size.

Thank you kindly

Anna