A WEST Marsh teenager undergoing a sex change has spoken about how she is overcoming years of bullying and mental torment to finally become who she feels she really is.
Nicole Henley is undergoing gender re-assignment surgery and is now finally on a path to becoming who she feels she really is.
Born Daniel Freeman, the 19-year-old today tells her story in the hope that it will encourage those who have called her all the names under the sun to understand her situation.
She told the Grimsby Telegraph: "Since the age of eight I have known deep down that I wasn't who the world saw me as, and I wanted to tell people but didn't.
"It was a very confusing time for me, I would wear wigs and makeup because I knew I wanted to be a girl.
"There were always those who told me I was quite feminine, telling me this is who I should be."
She added: "People in Grimsby know me, so I'm used to the comments they make but this didn't used to happen when I lived in a larger city.
"In a small town, you can get ganged up on.
"Because of the bullying I would stay in all the time which was quite depressing; now I just feel that I should be who I want to be, as people should respect others for who they are.
Eventually she plucked up the courage to see a doctor, and she was referred to a counsellor in 2011 in what she says was a "positive" experience.
She began wearing female clothing in public and holding her head up, ignoring any taunts.
In her situation, following an initial appointment with a GP you are referred to, and receive an assessment at, a Gender Identity Clinic (GIC).
The patient then receives a provisional diagnosis of gender dysphoria from the GIC, which refers to the distress that is caused by a discrepancy between a person's gender identity and that person's sex assigned at birth.
Discussions then take place on life options and treatment possibilities.
Now Nicole is now undergoing gender re-assignment, meaning she will have full surgery which she is "excited" about.
She will receive ongoing counselling and psychotherapy, as well as hormone therapy, treatment for facial hair removal, speech therapy and eventually, undergo surgical procedures.
She is set to begin hormone treatment later this month at King's College in London.
She has previously spoken on social media about how people in Grimsby and Cleethorpes have "hurt" her, but that she wants to make people understand what it is to be transgender.
In her online posting, Nicole wrote: "I'm transgender, meaning the gender that was assigned to me at birth doesn't match the gender I identify with.
"For most of my life, I couldn't articulate this feeling in a coherent way; I started struggling when puberty hit around age 12.
"I watched as my body turned into what felt to me grotesquely masculine and my mind began to feel like a petrol car someone had tried to fuel with diesel – it wasn't meant to run on testosterone.
"I wish I could be like any other girl."
She bravely and honestly revealed how she sank into depression and tried all kinds of therapy and medication to bring herself out of it.
She recalled how looking in the mirror, prior to shaving, was a "painful experience" and that she felt a strong sense of disassociation with her reflected image.
Nicole told the Telegraph: "I don't want to live as the person I used to be; who I am now feels normal.
"My family now accept me for who I am and the world is slowly moving on from what it used to be like.
"I just want to be successful in life, achieving what I want and I would like to help people with mental health issues in the future."
