Lewis's Top Surgery fundraiser
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Lewis McFarlane,
I'm a chemistry nerd who has a passion for graphic design. I also happen to be transgender, meaning that the gender in my brain doesn't match the appearance of my body. I identify as a man; however, I was born with a female body. I realised this when I was 13. Since then I have focussed my energies on staying physically and mentally well, having all of the necessary medical and psych assessments (no, it’s not just a “phase” I'm going through!), getting through school with this weird body of mine and giving myself the best possible chance of getting into Uni to follow my Chemistry passion – done! I have also been saving some of my fortnightly pocket money, as well as birthday and Christmas money so that once I turned 18 I could get what is known as ‘Top Surgery’. That time is now.
Top surgery is essentially a double mastectomy. There are some differences, however, the basic concept is the same. The purpose of top surgery is to give me a flat, male chest. While you may not understand why this is important, having top surgery will have a significant positive impact on my day to day life.
I currently do what is called binding to flatten my chest. Binding involves wearing a high compression garment. This causes difficulties breathing, back and neck aches, and sore ribs. If I wore it for longer than 8 hours a day it could cause permanent damage to my ribs and potentially even my internal organs.
I choose to wear a binder despite this, as the physical pain and discomfort are much easier to deal with than the mental disconnect I experience from my body when I am not wearing one. It is hard to explain to someone who isn't transgender what it feels like to look in the mirror and not recognise your body, however it is truly mentally and emotionally draining.
Apart from no more binding, having top surgery will mean that I can live a fuller life. I will be able to go swimming, play sports, and explore relationships. And I won't have to worry about changing shirts in the men's locker room!
Most importantly, I will be able to get changed without having to close my eyes. I will look in the mirror and recognise myself.
So, by now you’ve figured out why I'm telling you this. I need your help. While my parents and I have managed to raise a total $6200 of so far, it is still a long way off the $11,000 that is needed to cover my surgery, hospital stay, and any unforeseen expenses. I am having surgery on the 5th of July 2017 in Melbourne. Dr. Andrew Ives is my surgeon. Since I will be travelling interstate, I will also need money to cover transport and accommodation. All up I will need a total of about $13,000 and I’m already almost halfway there!
I’ve made this page and video to ask you to help me raise the remaining money. Even a small donation of a few dollars will truly help to change my life. I will be forever grateful to you.
In return for donations over $50 donate, I am offering a graphic design consult and digital product for you to use in any way you wish. This might be a logo, business card, poster, invitation etc. If you wish to take up this offer simply leave a note with your donation stating 'graphic design consult' and the best way to contact you. You can find some examples of my graphic design work here: https://www.facebook.com/DesignStudio97Australia/
If there are excess funds raised these will be split in half and donated to Share the Dignity: http://www.sharethedignity.com.au/ and SAMESH: http://www.samesh.org.au/about.html
Thank you so much for reading my story, watching the video and hopefully, for donating! :)
Ps. I have set the goal on this page slightly higher then $13000 to account for their processing fees and therefore ensure that I reach my exact goal.
I'm a chemistry nerd who has a passion for graphic design. I also happen to be transgender, meaning that the gender in my brain doesn't match the appearance of my body. I identify as a man; however, I was born with a female body. I realised this when I was 13. Since then I have focussed my energies on staying physically and mentally well, having all of the necessary medical and psych assessments (no, it’s not just a “phase” I'm going through!), getting through school with this weird body of mine and giving myself the best possible chance of getting into Uni to follow my Chemistry passion – done! I have also been saving some of my fortnightly pocket money, as well as birthday and Christmas money so that once I turned 18 I could get what is known as ‘Top Surgery’. That time is now.
Top surgery is essentially a double mastectomy. There are some differences, however, the basic concept is the same. The purpose of top surgery is to give me a flat, male chest. While you may not understand why this is important, having top surgery will have a significant positive impact on my day to day life.
I currently do what is called binding to flatten my chest. Binding involves wearing a high compression garment. This causes difficulties breathing, back and neck aches, and sore ribs. If I wore it for longer than 8 hours a day it could cause permanent damage to my ribs and potentially even my internal organs.
I choose to wear a binder despite this, as the physical pain and discomfort are much easier to deal with than the mental disconnect I experience from my body when I am not wearing one. It is hard to explain to someone who isn't transgender what it feels like to look in the mirror and not recognise your body, however it is truly mentally and emotionally draining.
Apart from no more binding, having top surgery will mean that I can live a fuller life. I will be able to go swimming, play sports, and explore relationships. And I won't have to worry about changing shirts in the men's locker room!
Most importantly, I will be able to get changed without having to close my eyes. I will look in the mirror and recognise myself.
So, by now you’ve figured out why I'm telling you this. I need your help. While my parents and I have managed to raise a total $6200 of so far, it is still a long way off the $11,000 that is needed to cover my surgery, hospital stay, and any unforeseen expenses. I am having surgery on the 5th of July 2017 in Melbourne. Dr. Andrew Ives is my surgeon. Since I will be travelling interstate, I will also need money to cover transport and accommodation. All up I will need a total of about $13,000 and I’m already almost halfway there!
I’ve made this page and video to ask you to help me raise the remaining money. Even a small donation of a few dollars will truly help to change my life. I will be forever grateful to you.
In return for donations over $50 donate, I am offering a graphic design consult and digital product for you to use in any way you wish. This might be a logo, business card, poster, invitation etc. If you wish to take up this offer simply leave a note with your donation stating 'graphic design consult' and the best way to contact you. You can find some examples of my graphic design work here: https://www.facebook.com/DesignStudio97Australia/
If there are excess funds raised these will be split in half and donated to Share the Dignity: http://www.sharethedignity.com.au/ and SAMESH: http://www.samesh.org.au/about.html
Thank you so much for reading my story, watching the video and hopefully, for donating! :)
Ps. I have set the goal on this page slightly higher then $13000 to account for their processing fees and therefore ensure that I reach my exact goal.
Organizer
Lewis McFarlane
Organizer
Ethelton, SA