Transgender teen Riley Middlemore is freezing his
eggs - so he can be a biological dad once he
becomes a man. Riley, 16 born a girl called
Rebecca,dropped the bombshell he wants a sex
change to his mum last year.
Now Riley, who has shaved off his long brunette
locks and started binding his 34C chest, is
awaiting full gender reassignment on the NHS – a
mastectomy, hysterectomy and having a penis
constructed once he’s 18.
But, before then, he has decided to freeze his
eggs.
Riley said: “I want to get married one day. I’ve
always wanted a family and I love children. My
partner would be the surrogate and carry my
eggs. That way I can have children that are
biologically mine with my partner.”
Growing up in Gloucester, Riley was always a
tomboy and preferred to wear tracksuits and
jeans rather than dresses.
Living with four brothers, Martin, 18, Jake, 14,
Ricki, 13, Philip, 11, he played with their Action
Men and toy cars
Riley recalled: “I wore my brothers’ clothes. It
became more difficult when I started puberty
aged 12.
“I developed breasts, had periods and hated the
way I looked. I was trapped in the wrong body
but kept it to myself.”
Last December Riley, who had always fancied
girls, came out as gay.
Then, at Christmas, he decided to reveal the full
truth to mum Carrie.
Riley said: “Mum was coming round to have tea
with my then girlfriend.
“I was worried my partner might refer to me as
‘Riley’ or ‘he’. I said to Mum, ‘I need to tell you
something.’ She said, ‘You want to be a boy?’
She had guessed, and just hugged me.”
Café owner Carrie, 36 – who split from Riley’s
dad when he was a baby – did struggle to accept
that her once only daughter was becoming a boy.
She said: “When he told me he wanted to have a
full sex change I was worried, because it is such
a major operation. But I just want him to be
happy.”
Carrie went with Riley to the GP who referred him
for counselling, adding he must live as a boy for a
year before he can be referred to a gender identity
clinic.
Riley said: “My brothers have all been very
accepting. People have called me names, but they
are just ignorant.”
Once referred to a gender identity clinic he will
have more counselling and assessments by
doctors before receiving hormone injections or
patches to deepen his voice and give him facial
hair.
He hopes to have a full £10k sex change on the
NHS when he turns 18. Since becoming a boy,
Riley has received lots of female attention and he
has had a girlfriend for two months.
He said: “She’s very understanding and has only
ever known me as Riley.”
Riley, who starts college next month studying
sport, wants to teach PE.
Carrie said: “I am proud of Riley. It’s like
mourning the death of a daughter but celebrating
the birth of a son.”
Sunday Mirror
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