Isla’s Gender Affirming Healthcare Fundraiser

Hello everyone! For those who don’t already know me, I’m Isla and I’m a transgender woman from the UK. Asking others for money is not in my nature but in the past few years I’ve found myself in an increasingly desperate position struggling to pay for the healthcare that I need and it is now clear to me that I can’t access this care and live my life without your support.

Gender Dysphoria is a medical condition in which someone is born as and assigned the wrong sex at birth. Countless studies have determined that trans women have significantly higher mortality rates than non-trans people and that the median life expectancy for trans women is only 55-56 years. This is because the healthcare that we need for our own wellbeing and safety is very hard to access even on the NHS.

NHS waitlists for Gender Dysphoria patients are currently averaging 7-10 years and this is getting even longer all the time. I have been waiting for my first appointment since 2019 and, according to the NHS website, I am likely to be waiting at least another 3-5 years for my initial appointment with them. It will be years and years on top of that before I can access the treatment that I need on the NHS.

Every day, I face more harassment both online and in-person and every day my personal safety is put at risk more and more. On top of that, my own wellbeing and quality of life decreases every day that I have to wait to be seen by the specialists who can help me. I’ve had to delay moving out into my own place, pursuing my career goals and building a life for myself as I can’t afford to the uncertainties that come with those things when I have to pay over £130/month in medical fees for Hormone Replacement Treatment as well as save to access the healthcare that I need. These are enormous costs that my friends and family have never had to worry about and that will severely stunt my life for years to come.

With NHS waitlists getting longer, with the streets quickly growing more dangerous for trans women, with already sky-high hormone fees on the rise and with my legal rights constantly in peril, your support is needed urgently. I am a hard-worker and I’ve been in work continuously from the age of 16. I’ve even been very proud to work for the NHS but, now that they’ve turned their backs on me, it is with deep sadness that I must now turn to private healthcare options for Gender Confirmation Surgery - the primary treatment for Gender Dysphoria. After much thought and consideration, I can't raise the funds needed for this procedure without your help.

Even just a small donation will go a very long way and, if you’re not able to give a donation, please share this online - on your social media and with those around you. By getting this campaign heard by as many people as possible, you will change my life forever.

Thank you so much for giving this a read and for giving time to this important campaign. Your love and kindness truly means the world to me and gives me hope that, in time, trans people everywhere will be given equal dignity and respect.

Sending my love to you all,

Isla