Help Mika get Surgery!

Hi there, my name is Mika, I'm a trans woman from London and I'm raising funds to help cover the costs of going private for GCS (gender confirmation surgery, aka 'bottom surgery') because waiting for an NHS referral will take the best part of a decade, given the current state of trans healthcare in the UK. For the sake of my own mental health I know I really can't wait that long.

I came out as trans in 2020 and managed to start HRT (hormone replacement therapy) via a private route soon after, so I've been quite lucky in that respect. Hormones have treated me really well so far - so much so that I'm much happier than I was before I started transition. Unfortunately, there's one thing HRT can't do and that is having a corrosive effect on my mental health. It's hard to describe how a part of my body can feel so fundamentally wrong, but that's what I'm having to deal with and it gets worse with every day that passes. So GCS is the only real option I have.

Since GCS is available on the NHS, you might ask "Why the fundraiser?" Sadly, even taking the most optimistic view, the NHS Gender Identity Clinic has at least a 4-6 year waitlist at the moment. Even after that time, I would still be kept waiting another 2-4 years for an actual surgery referral. The prospect of waiting a decade for this is just not something I'm strong enough to do. There is a pilot scheme I may become eligible for if they get more funding, but I'm not willing to pin all my hopes on something that doesn't have a high chance of happening hence why I plan to get my surgery done privately, here in London. Although this procedure is nowhere near as expensive as other gender affirming surgeries - such as facial surgery - it's still a significant amount of money. It will also mean I'll be off work for 2-4 weeks - as I'm a contractor I won't be earning anything during this time.

The current cost of GCS at Parkside Hospital is around £15,000, plus another £250 for initial consultancy. I'm also going to have to get two private medical referrals, each of which will cost another £300-£500. Fortunately I have the funds for the consultancy and the referrals already, and Parkside do offer financing for the procedure itself. My initial target for this fundraiser is therefore £15,000 - I don't expect this to cover the entire cost of my surgery, but any amount raised (less taxes) will help me build up a bigger deposit and reduce how much I'm going to be paying off over the next few years, if I'm lucky.