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A teenage boy, desperate to escape his female body, is fund-raising for surgery because of extraordinarily long NHS waiting lists.

Jacob Gormley, 19, was so distressed at having to live with body of a woman he had a breakdown and it was only because of the understanding of his loving parents he was able to take his first steps towards sex realignment surgery.

He has waited almost two years for an NHS consultation to begin the process of having the operation.

And he cannot bear to wait much longer.

(Image: Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

He said: “I don’t want to wait. Every day is a struggle. I wake up in the morning and I just want to cry.

“I can’t take my t-shirt off. I can’t take my binder off. Some days I don’t even want to go into work or leave the house. I just want it done as soon as possible so I don’t need to feel like this every day.

“I know every single step I need to take and I am 100 per cent sure I want to do it as soon as possible.”

In tears, his mum Debbie, 44, said: “The day his dad and I offered to help, to take him private, was because he was totally broken and it is hard to see your child fall apart.

“We would rather go private - even at £250 a consultation - than watch him go through that.”

(Image: Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

Jacob was born as Lauren, the oldest of Debbie and Matthew Gormely’s three children.

As a youngster although he had dolls and other traditionally girls’ toys, he always favoured lego, hotwheels, Power Rangers, football and go-carting.

When he was around 13 he came out to his mum and dad as lesbian. But four years later he realised he wasn’t, he was a boy trapped in a girl’s body.

Jacob, from Rutherglen, near Glasgow, said: “It was something an ex-girlfriend’s dad said to me which made me think ‘wait a minute’. That’s when it all made sense.

“He said something like ‘if she wants to date girls why doesn’t she just become a guy’.

“I started Googling transsexuals and found a YouTuber called Jamie. Everything he explained made sense to me.

"He was into football, so was I. He wanted to be more masculine, so did I. He fought with people when he had to wear dresses, so did I.”

The last time Jacob wore a dress was four years ago when his Aunt Alison asked him to be a bridesmaid at her wedding - two years before he switched to being called Jacob.

He said: “I knew she would ask me to wear a dress and wear make-up but I decided to do it anyway.

"I felt really uncomfortable and when I got to the function I kept asking if I could go and put my red tracksuit on. But I did keep the dress on all night.”

He has never worn traditionally female clothes since and now puts binders around his chest to flatten his breasts to give him a more masculine appearance.

Next month he will begin taking male hormones ahead of the surgery he will have when he manages to raise enough cash.

While surgery is free on the NHS, Jacob has already been waiting almost two years for a consultation to begin the process and is no nearer getting an appointment. Once plans are underway he would then have to go on another waiting list for surgery.

Debbie said: “When he goes swimming or is on holiday in nice weather he wants to take his t-shirt off but he can’t because he wears a binder. I just want to see him happy.”

Jacob, a drummer in a pipe band, now feels more comfortable talking about his previous self and no longer wants to eradicate his past.

He was originally keen to destroy all old photographs of himself and couldn’t bear to even look at his dad’s arm where he had the tattoo “Lauren”.

(Image: Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

But now he is more comfortable talking about his past and with the support of his parents, brother and sister Calum, 13, and Emily,11, and his girlfriend he is just anxious to move on with his new life and hopes to land an apprenticeship as a mechanic.

A spokeswoman from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The service accepts referrals from all over Scotland and we have seen increasing demand in recent years.

“A recent increase in the waiting time for an initial consultation is being addressed and we expect waiting times to reduce. In addition, the service seeks to ensure patients are signposted to other services that may be able to offer support to people during the wait.

“We are committed to offering a positive experience for transgender people using sexual health services. We are determined to play a key role in ending the stigma people can experience and creating a better understanding of transgender issues.”

To donate to Jacob’s operation fund go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/9dnh73-top-surgery

Parents' support vital

Jacob Gormley knows despite his difficulties he is lucky because he has his parents’ support.

He admitted: “When I came out as Jacob I had blown it all up in my head. I expected it all to blow up and be so bad. I thought I would be thrown out the house.

“But when I spoke to my mum she was like ‘whatever’. My dad was a bit different he was slower to speak to me about it. He had to go and think about it and process it but he has come round.”

(Image: Garry F McHarg Daily Record)

Mum Debbie said: “We were both supportive of his decision. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about what he did but it just made sense. I think Jacob was more shocked at my reaction than I was at what he was telling me.”

But Debbie and Matthew only care about their son’s happiness.

She said: “Some people say when a child changes like Jacob it ais as if they are grieving for a lost child. But I’m not. I still have my child.”

Jacob, however, has witnessed what can happen when parents are not as understanding as his.

He said: “A guy I know; his mum is horrendous. He messaged me saying his mum had ripped off his binder and ripped it up. She is taking him to court to force him to change his name back.

“She is really, really bad. I feel so sorry for him.

“He is so happy the way he is and has a girlfriend who supports him majorly. But his mum uses his old name all the time and it makes him feel horrible.”

For information and support on transgender issues go to LGBT Helpline Scotland. It is open every Tuesday and Wednesday between 12-9pm on 0300 123 2523. Calls are charged at local rates.