Ronan’s Top Surgery Fund

Hi, my name’s Ronan, and I’m a transgender man. I’ve been on the NHS waitlist for years now, and recently I believed that the wait was finally over, just to find out I have another 2 and a half year waitlist before I can get surgery. For me, this is a life saving procedure, as binding is painful and damaging to my body. It’s obviously very expensive, and this fundraiser only covers the cost of the actual surgery, nevermind the time off work, and all the extra bits I’ll need for recovery.

I’ll give some background on my experience and my journey. I’ve known that I “wanted to be a boy” since I was about 5 years old, and while it took me some time to fully figure things out, I eventually came out as trans in 2021. That feels so recent, but I’ve been this way, I just didn’t outwardly express it. I had a lot of fears and doubts, but thankfully I was able to explore those as I socially transitioned and discovered I was so much happier than I’d ever been. I’d struggled with my mental health since puberty, and after I began to transition was the first time I felt like some of that burden was lifted from my shoulders. I legally changed my name the following year, and was able to begin university as Ronan. I had always received support from my peers but to get a fresh start was really nice. I finally felt like I could be myself. I had saved up all summer and was able to get hormones privately, which again dramatically improved my mental health and happiness. I know that getting this surgery will make me feel even more like my true self, and I’d love to be able to finally live without feeling restricted.

Due to binding, I’ve been restricted in my experiences at university. I have to be conscious of how long I’m out for, otherwise I’m binding dangerously and at risk of further damaging my body. I’ve already developed issues with my ribs as a result of over-binding - mainly due to work hours - and the sooner I can get top surgery, the less pain I’m in, and the less likely I am to make the situation worse. I’m unable to stop binding as my mental health wouldn’t be able to handle it, as I have extreme dysphoria around my chest.

I’ll provide updates on this page if anyone is interested in following my journey. I’ll explain how the experience is, what surgeon I go to, what type of surgery I decide on getting etc. I already have my testosterone progression on my instagram, but I can also post a highlight reel of each month to this page for anyone who’s interested. It’s been a really great journey so far, and I want to be able to complete it soon with this surgery. This is the last step in my transition, and the sooner I take it, the quicker I can focus on living my life to the fullest.

Any support you can give me is so incredibly appreciated - even if you can’t donate please share around the page!! Your support will change my life and allow me to complete my journey.