Alec's Top Surgery
Donation protected
Hi, I'm Alec - I'm a 21 year old trans man, currently at university studying to be a doctor. I have known I was trans for four years now, and am on the waiting list to start T. I'll be waiting for about another year before I get my first appointment, and then I would have the agonising wait for top surgery on the NHS, which can take many years. So I thought I'd speed things up a bit by going privately since chest dysphoria is what I find the hardest to cope with.
As a child, I was uncomfortable with the clothes I was put in and the roles that were placed on me compared to my brother. When puberty started it all became a lot worse - at first denying what was happening to me, then begrudgingly accepting it and then trying my hardest to fit in. This point in my life was the hardest, I didn't understand who I was and members of my family made no secret that they were disappointed with the way I chose to dress. I was struggling through everyday and I didn't realise the pain I was in until I managed to escape it and began living as I should be. At university I am free to be myself, but I still receive varying levels of support from the different people in my life which makes things challenging.
Having top surgery would be a life changing step for me. I've been binding for years and it's beginning to cause back and rib problems as well as the damage it is doing to my lungs on a daily basis. Since I'm a student, I don't have my own money I can put towards it and anything I do earn goes straight out of my account every month to pay for rent. But if I can raise the money, I'll be able to go swimming comfortably, or wear a t-shirt in the hot weather instead of having to cover up because the dysphoria is too much to bear.
I chose to become a doctor so I can make a positive difference in peoples' lives. Once I've graduated I want to specialise in emergency medicine and give something back to the community and society that allows me and other queer people to live as we were supposed to.
Prices for top surgery are currently £7200-£9000, including recovery costs, and any donation would mean the world. Thank you for reading this.
As a child, I was uncomfortable with the clothes I was put in and the roles that were placed on me compared to my brother. When puberty started it all became a lot worse - at first denying what was happening to me, then begrudgingly accepting it and then trying my hardest to fit in. This point in my life was the hardest, I didn't understand who I was and members of my family made no secret that they were disappointed with the way I chose to dress. I was struggling through everyday and I didn't realise the pain I was in until I managed to escape it and began living as I should be. At university I am free to be myself, but I still receive varying levels of support from the different people in my life which makes things challenging.
Having top surgery would be a life changing step for me. I've been binding for years and it's beginning to cause back and rib problems as well as the damage it is doing to my lungs on a daily basis. Since I'm a student, I don't have my own money I can put towards it and anything I do earn goes straight out of my account every month to pay for rent. But if I can raise the money, I'll be able to go swimming comfortably, or wear a t-shirt in the hot weather instead of having to cover up because the dysphoria is too much to bear.
I chose to become a doctor so I can make a positive difference in peoples' lives. Once I've graduated I want to specialise in emergency medicine and give something back to the community and society that allows me and other queer people to live as we were supposed to.
Prices for top surgery are currently £7200-£9000, including recovery costs, and any donation would mean the world. Thank you for reading this.
Organizer
Alec Arthur
Organizer
England