Help me fund my top surgery


Hi everyone!

Thanks for coming to this page. Here is my story.

I am a young, disabled transgender person living alone in the South-West of England. My conditions other than gender dysphoria include depression, anxiety, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (which causes extreme pain and fatigue), and specific learning difficulties to including ADHD and dyspraxia. These all affect my ability to function as I need to daily.

Due to my disabilities, I am able to work only part time, therefore my income is made up of PIP (the disability benefit in the UK designed to cover extra costs caused by disability) and my wages from my part time job. The rest of my time is spent mostly in bed recovering from this.

I have identified openly as transgender for a number of years now, and was finally able to take the step on 12th Jan 2017 to ask my doctor for a referral to the GIC (gender identity clinic). Unfortunately, this doctor refused on the basis of very old guidelines that I needed a psych assessment first (despite that I had recently had one at the time of this appointment). Despite me informing her that this was not the case, and that she was able to refer me straight to the clinic, I was denied.

Because of this clinical negligence, my dysphoria and mental health worsened and took on the form of many hospital visits, antidepressant medication doses increased, and therapy appointments which I ended up being too anxious to attend. I was distraught. I was terrified to go to the doctor again to ask to pursue my transition for fear of getting rejected again, even though realistically I knew the guidelines said they can’t. I’m incredibly angry that over a year of my life that I could’ve spent on a waiting list was wasted, and that my life and my future rested in this one person’s hands, this one person who was supposed to have been a medical professional. Said professional caused me a huge amount of harm and distress.

Eventually, with the support of a close friend, I was ready to ask to be referred again. I chose a different doctor. She was AMAZING. She did the referral with no problems whatsoever, as it should have been in the first place. 

Now, here are the current issues.

Firstly, the GIC has a 20 month waiting list, and this is just for the initial appointment. If I continued down this route, I likely wouldn’t be on hormones or have surgery for a number of years. I would not be able to wait this long. I would die, and that is not an over exaggeration. I would not be here.

It is for this reason that I have paid for an appointment with Dr Lorimer from GenderCare. This cost £230 which I had managed to save up. This appointment is in June (3 months away). I will likely be able to start testosterone after this appointment. Current guidelines suggest being on testosterone for 6 months before having top surgery, so I am probably looking at early 2019 if I raise enough money in time.

This is where you come in.

My mental health cannot take any more psychological damage; I need surgery as soon as possible or I know I will get very ill. My dysphoria is worsening by the day to the point where I can’t handle my job. This is because of being constantly misgendered by customers and sometimes colleagues, because I don’t pass. I don’t look like the other guys and I get a reminder of that every single day. It’s soul destroying. People currently can’t see me as who I really am. There is no way I will be able to wait a number of years in order to get the surgery for free on the NHS. My only option at this point is to go private. 

The surgery can cost anywhere between £5k and £7k in total, and so far I have saved up 1k. Saving for me is very difficult due to living on benefits and part time work, and I have rent, bills and council tax to pay, so right now, every spare penny is going on surgery.

I am looking to crowd fund at least £1000 and take out a loan for the rest. 

If you can spare a few pounds, dollars, or whatever currency you use, I will be forever grateful. I will not forget you as long as I live, for helping me to start my life and be free for the first time.

Thank you. 


I will be posting regular updates with regards to appointments and costs as soon as I find these things out.