Eighteen year old Charlie was terrified to tell his parents he was transgender so he broke the news to his mum via a message on Facebook.

"I was really scared, because even with your family you never really know how anyone is going to react," he said.

"I Facebooked mum because I didn't think that I would be able to get the words out."

Charlie, who is now 20, is a transgender male who lives in Taranaki and has been on hormone replacement therapy for about a year. He does not want to use his full name for fear that revealing his identity will open him to attack.

READ MORE:

* Quest to get rid of Charlie's double Ds

* Kiwi transgender child's inspiring video goes global

* Transgender priest sings praises of understanding

He has known since he was about 10 years old that he "wasn't a she" but telling his family was a completely different story.

Charlie's mum Alison said when she read the Facebook message from the child she raised as a girl, she was confused.

"And probably a bit ignorant, as I thought it may be a phase, as most people do," she said.

Now she goes to all of his doctor's appointments, gives her son his hormone injections and spends her spare time fundraising for Charlie to have what is known as top surgery, a procedure to remove the DD breasts on his chest.

The horror stories tell of parents disowning their children when they come out as transgender, but Alison said she could never do something like that to a child of hers.

"I am very protective of them and would give them 100 per cent support with anything," she said.

"They are who they are and should be loved unconditionally."

Alison, who works in the medical industry, said over the past two years she had learned a lot about the way her industry treated transgender people.

"Medical people who I have met mostly don't know enough about transgender people and how to manage the transition," she said.

"Also, there is so much discrimination with helping in the physical transition. For example; top surgery, there is no public funding for this, but men with breast issues can get surgery.

"They would maybe rather spend more DHB money on caring for a transgender person who is clinically depressed, than treating the physical cause of the depression or anxiety, which is removing the breasts."

Alison said the journey had brought her and Charlie closer together and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"We've had to be very open with each other around our feelings, thoughts and me getting to grips with the issues surrounding transgender," she said.

Charlie said having the support of his family had made it 100 per cent easier.

"If I didn't have their support I don't know where I would be now," he said.

"At first my sister and my dad had trouble, but now my sister could not be more supportive and loving, and my dad has come a long way too.

"My grandparents were very supportive too, they still have trouble with pronouns, but that's expected for them," he said.

To donate to Charlie's top surgery visit givealittle.co.nz/cause/helpcharlie.