Cassie’s GRS Fund

Hi everyone, my name’s Cassie and I’m a 27 year old trans woman from Yorkshire - England. I use a different name offline, so for those of you who know me more personally, hello!

It takes a lot to realise who we truly are. I shared my true self online for the first time around 6 years ago, but couldn’t face the reality of my feelings around my gender until much later, around 2 years ago. Some of you may know me only from my Instagram account, @notcassieforever, some of you may even remember some of my older posts on Reddit… (Yikes!)

Having been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) just over a year, in some ways I am much more free from dysphoria. In others, as my body has changed, it has become much clearer which other ways my dysphoria manifests and has given me further clarity on how I need my body to be.

I am trying to save for Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS) - or ‘bottom surgery’ to be more colloquial. I have largely kept my need for this on the down-low, with it being something of a personal matter. I have concluded this is something I consider necessary to feel whole in my body.

I am constantly reminded of my former self whenever I get dressed. I am distinctly picky about what I wear on my bottom half for fear of being outed in public for having an abnormal ‘bulge’ where there ought not be one. I will not ever consider swimming or any activity that requires a close-fitting garment. Tucking being the only temporary, albeit painful and potentially dangerous, short term solution. Above all else, it just feels deeply wrong to have what I have in its current configuration.

I have done a considerable amount of research regarding GRS and concluded that I would like to travel to the Suporn Clinic in Thailand for my surgery. It is a long way from home, but almost all feedback and reviews from others reiterate just how good this place is. It is one of the best clinics in the world for this kind of surgery, and even uses cutting edge techniques to achieve very desirable results.

I estimate that I will need approximately £20-£25,000 to cover all costs towards this, including travel, accommodation, surgery itself and any extras. I work full-time as a professional engineer, however, I simply cannot afford this cost and saving could take me decades. My only other real option is to wait on the NHS waiting list for a surgery referral. On current estimates, this could leave me waiting another 7-8 years while I go through the disgracefully slow system.

It is difficult to open up about something this personal, even to those close to me. Taking steps in raising funds for myself is also not something I take lightly, and I would be enormously grateful to anyone able to help me on this journey. This feels like one of those times you just have to ask for help.

Thank you for reading, much love, Cassie xx