Rían's Top Surgery Fund!

Hey! My name is Rían and I'm on a mission to raise funds for essential surgery that will by all accounts, change my life for the better. I came out as transgender in the Summer of 2018. Since then, I’ve been making steps along my transition to become the most authentic version of myself. For me, this has included transitioning socially (changing my name, pronouns and appearance) as well as medically through hormone replacement therapy (HRT).  Currently, I’m planning to take my next ‘step’ - ‘top surgery’ - and this is where I need your support! So, what exactly is ‘top surgery’?  Top surgery (medically known as a subcutaneous mastectomy) refers to a cosmetic procedure wherein the breast tissue is removed in order to create a natural-looking male chest. The procedure involves reshaping the chest to a natural male appearance and reducing and repositioning the nipple and areola to a proportionate male nipple size and shape. Currently, there are no surgeons practicing in Ireland which can provide top surgery, forcing many transgender individuals such as myself to travel overseas to recieve medical care. For me, I am hoping to travel to the UK, in the Spring of 2021 to recieve this procedure through the London Transgender Clinic . Needless to say, travelling abroad for surgery (even just across the water) can prove incredibly costly.  As a student, I am not in a position to be able to fund this trip entirely alone, through my own income and savings I will only be able to meet a small portion of the total costs estimated relating to the surgery (including flights, accommodation and medical expenses). In light of this, I’ve turned to crowdfunding the rest of the cost. All funds raised will go directly toward financing the surgery (estimated between on average between 3,500 - 9,000 euro) as well as the associated costs of travelling and accommodation for the week (as a follow up visit post surgery will be required).  As a trans person there is a huge financial, but also psychological, cost to embracing who you are. Between legally changing your name, updating important documents such as your passport, to the long wait to access HRT through the national health service or pursuing private means all else failing -  it can have an incredibly negative effect on a person's mental health.  This is all not to mention the years spent beforehand grappling with gender dysphoria (where a person feels a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity).  My own experience with dysphoria is the main motivation to pursue this surgery. It would be impossible to convey how difficult it is, to go through the ‘wrong’ puberty, to feel like an alien inside your own body can affect a person. But the numbers reflect the effect this has on individuals like myself massively. In a recent study , TENI highlights that transgender people are more likely to experience psychological distress and substance abuse, including higher rates of mental illness such as depression and suicidal ideation (80% of transgender individuals have considered taking their own life at one point, with 26% having attempted to do so). This is in addition to feelings of loneliness, isolation and feelings of hopelessness associated with suppressing their experiences around gender. These findings also represent my experience as a transgender person, I am part of that statistic. Years of living in the ‘closet’, grappling with dysphoria and trying to navigate a world that refuses to accept you as ‘you’ can destroy a person's mental health, it’s something I still struggle with today.  In recent years I’ve used chest binding to alleviate some of the dysphoria that comes from my chest, but measures such as binding come with their own health risks (skin rash, shortness of breath, back and shoulder pain, overheating, rib damage)  and can be incredibly limiting in regards to physical activity.  For me, accessing this surgery is a necessity. It is not a ‘cure all’ by any means, but, being able to look at your body and not be disgusted by it, to be able to wear clothes that fit properly rather than hide your form, to be able to do basic things like go to the gym, to swim, to feel less alien within my own body, would increase my quality of life and wellbeing more than words could ever describe - it would be life changing. Please help me in transforming this dream into a reality.