Gender Affirming Surgery Fundrasier

Hello! I’m Alice, a non-binary person using they/them pronouns.

I’m a textile artist, illustrator, and jack-of-all-trades crafter living in Norfolk. I am a disabled wheelchair user who although I cannot access regular paid work, I try to fill my time with various volunteering and community projects.

This includes being one of the lead organizers for Norwich Trans Pride - Mainly working on the art side of things and running the Trans Pride Art Market at this year’s event!

I’m also the co-creator of Queer Craft Club, a free community event that runs monthly and aims to make a safe space for queer people to come together, share their love of crafts, and be a part of a larger community, I am providing a queer craft chest for people to be able to access materials and tools free of charge so everyone has an equal opportunity to learn and craft without a barrier like a cost.

I have co-organized the Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt - A project inspired by the AIDs quilts of the '80s and ’90s, We are creating a community quilt made from patches provided by trans people around Norfolk and sewing them together into a piece that will be able to be exhibited at pride events and carried during protests as a testament to the trans joy felt around Norfolk.

I am passionate about being part of a community and carving out space for queer and trans people in my county and hope to be able to continue having the time and energy for future projects.

I came out as non-binary and started socially transitioning when I was 16 years old! Although I was wearing a binder daily, causing my shoulders and ribs a lot of pain. I did not feel ready or able to pursue any kind of medical transition, especially as being non-binary was not seen as valid 10 years ago, I would have definitely had a difficult time accessing any type of help.

Now I am 26 years old and I have a much stronger sense of my identity. After suffering from dysphoria for years I now feel ready to pursue a double mastectomy and be able to enjoy my life and my body much more than I am capable of right now. I often have panic attacks which are caused by my gender dysphoria and cannot wear a binder for long periods as I am physically disabled and the binder can cause harm to my body. At the moment, my body does not feel like my own and I have felt stuck like this for so long.

I have already started the costly process of accessing the surgery which has included; being diagnosed with gender dysphoria and receiving two referral letters from different psychologists specializing in gender identity. Meeting with a surgeon to discuss the surgery itself and go over any details and finally, the last step is to fund the surgery and to do it! This process so far has been paid out of pocket and is draining all my money, especially as someone who is low-income and disabled. The costs are just not something I can keep up with as I have no way of accumulating savings.

I am asking for £8k to cover the costs of my surgery and recovery. This will cover the surgery itself, my travel costs, and any recovery costs. As a disabled person, my recovery is likely to be a little rocky and require extra funds to ease it.

It has taken me a very long time to build up the courage to ask for help with this, I am nervous but excited about the possibility this will lead to me being able to access my surgery!

Thank you so much for reading and I appreciate any donations you can send.

Other ways you can support my surgery are -

Purchasing my new sticker sheet with all proceeds going toward my surgery fund!

Follow my Instagram @disgaybled to keep up with how my fundraiser is doing and keep an eye out for any events or projects that help contribute!