Reuben's Top Surgery Fundraiser

Hi, my name is Reuben and I'm raising money for gender-affirming surgery.

As many of my loved ones know already, trans healthcare in the UK just isn't accessible. When I moved to Manchester from Edinburgh, I lost my years-long place on NHS Scotland's Gender Identity Service waiting list and moved to the English equivalent, which erased the time I'd already spent waiting for an initial appointment.

I've been wearing a chest binder almost every day since 2016, and that's caught up with me. I experience a good deal of chest, back and shoulder pain these days, and I'm facing the reality that I need gender-affirming care far quicker than the NHS will be able to offer it to me.

I've been saving up money towards top surgery, and will continue to save where I can, but I've realised I won't be able to reach this on my own. I'm grateful to have a very exciting fundraising event coming up this summer (big up the babes of Snogtown), but in the meantime I'm keen to get the ball rolling so that I can get closer to this goal.

I've found a surgeon whose results and ethos seem to line up well with what I'm looking for, but he's recently announced that he's moving his practice to Greece. I don't have all the information about what his new prices will look like, so this goal is based off of research I've done about other top surgeons in Greece and across Europe, as I may end up going with someone else. Anything raised over my goal will go towards other gender-affirming healthcare fundraisers.

This fundraiser has been a long time coming! I know down in my bones that this surgery will go a long way towards me feeling more present and at home in myself, and I'm thankful to everyone who takes the time to donate or share this. Please do so far and wide!!!!

I'm looking forward to gardening without a shirt on when it's hot outside, trekking up a hill with friends without getting dizzy, and being able to lift my cat Ethel up into air jail without a sore back afterwards.

Much love to everyone xx