Sam's Gender Affirming Care Fundraiser

Hey there,

In early 2020 I made the decision to be open about my transness and begin my medical transition. I have still yet to receive a first appointment from the NHS Gender Identity Clinic after many years on their waitlist. Just the act of coming out can be immensely freeing and liberating, easing years of trauma and greatly reducing the burden of fatigue, stress and dysphoria from holding such truth in. Except when there is well-evidenced, globally recognised and readily available care that you are told is guaranteed to you...but you just don't deserve until you suffer for 7+ years without any support. To know there's a solution that is being denied for the sake of cruelty alone...

I lasted 6 months before I was self-funding my transition with overseas prescriptions. Though I have had extreme fortune to be in a place to afford that, and the luck and temerity to eventually get some of these covered by GP shared cared, I still have to pay for much of the care that the NHS promises they provide (in their 90-day commitment no less). I have ran out of funds several times throughout this process; having to stop my care for my cat Sausage's cancer treatment. Having to take out an extreme loan, on top of the inheritence from the death of family, to pay for Facial Feminisation Surgery. All laser hair removal has been paid out of my own pocket.

It has been several more years and several more repressive changes to healthcare policy. I no longer get blood tests provided by the NHS and I cannot risk kicking a fuss about this or getting tests privately as that would risk my current prescriptions. The recent NHS guidelines from this Labour government are targeted at removing this minimum care as someone who isn't on their "pathway" (having still not gotten appointment one).

It is long overdue to find a way to not just find my authenticity, but protect myself from being held hostage by NHS medications. I cannot wait the unknown years on waitlist for first, then second, then third, referral, second referral for the basic healthcare promised us. I cannot risk it being taken away as soon as Labour needs another way to appease the far-right, as they are already threatening to do.

I have emptied my pensions, what was left of savings after I spent my inheritence on my first surgery, to fund for gender affirmation surgery (aka lower surgery). Everything gets me to a bit over halfway there. I am hoping to scrape and sell over the next year for another £3,000, asking another £3,000 from family. As I have paused laser treatment and am cutting back widely this is...not impossible. If £4,000 can be crowdfunded this will put me in a good position to secure a loan for remaining costs and travel for surgery in Serbia, which looks to offer an equally highly skilled and reliable surgical team led by Dr Miroslav Djordjevic at a more survivable cost than in the UK.

Thank you for the care and support in fulfilling this dream and securing my future and bodily autonomy.

In love and solidarity,

Sam xx