Transgender Bedford man sets up £7.5k GoFundMe to have breasts removed

A transgender man from Bedford has set up a GoFundMe page to fund surgery after being told he’d have to wait FOUR TO FIVE YEARS on the NHS for an appointment.

George Hughes wants to have top surgery (removing the breasts) but it costs £7,500.

So he's set up the page – which you can access here – and has already raised over £3,000.

Growing up, the 35-year-old said has always known something wasn’t quite right.

He said: “I hated being a woman. I thought that was normal. I thought women hated being women.

"I hated everything about being female – I thought it was disgusting.”

So much so, George came out as gay at 16 but even that didn’t make him feel he really fit in.

He said: “I hated being called a lesbian, I’d always say I was gay.

“I felt uncomfortable – I never had the words to say what I was.

"I thought if I was born a boy it wouldn’t have been an issue – but I thought it could never be attainable.

“I thought I just have to deal with it.”

It was only when George started following other transgender people on social media and got in touch with an old university colleague who had transitioned, that he felt a truer life could be in his grasp.

He said: “I thought ‘God, I’m so jealous. I need to do this.’”

But the weight didn’t truly lift from George’s shoulders until he visited the privately-run London Transgender Clinic which confirmed he was “clearly transgender”.

"I felt my sense of freedom.”

But to even get an NHS appointment for consultation was between four and five years and after getting his diagnosis, he didn't want to wait a moment longer.

George is already having testosterone and if he raises enough funds, should have the top surgery in October.

He said: “I debated the GoFundMe appeal for a while because I’m quite a private person – I’m not really good at asking for help.

“But the positive comments I’ve had from people have made me really glad.

"My family have been really supportive and have also donated.

"I feel a lot happier now than I did last year. I could never have seen a future but now I can.

"I feel a lot more positive. It’s still a waiting game but I feel grateful to all the people who have donated.”