It's a race against time for 33-year-old Jayde Kay Johnson, who is aiming to raise R200 000 to have her sex change done in Thailand because the waiting list at the Groote Schuur Hospital’s Transgender Clinic has a backlog of 20 years.
Jayde has started a crowdfunding campaign on Backabuddy called ”Pave the way to my true self,” which has so far raised R2800.
Jayde says it is cheaper and faster to have the surgery done abroad.
“I am on the waiting list already and I understand you can wait up to 20 years (in SA),” she explains.
“The sex reassignment surgery in Thailand has various packages, the hospital stay alone can cost up to R90 000, the surgery R150 000 and so on.
“I have friends who have done the surgery in Thailand.”
Only four gender-affirming surgeries are done annually at Groote Schuur, according to the Western Cape Health Department. Currently 34 new patients are waiting for the surgery.
In the private sector, this operation could cost anything between R450 000 and R600 000 as it is deemed cosmetic surgery, while in the public sector, hormone treatment and gender-affirming surgery is based on the patient's income.
Born Jason Afrika, Jayde says she was 5 years old when she realised she was different. She would admire her ouma's dresses and shoes as she prepared for church on a Sunday.
At age 17, Jayde began hormone therapy at Groote Schuur, and six years ago, her testicles were removed.
“It was very painful,” she says.
Then followed a name and gender change at Home Affairs.
All of this was done in consultation with doctors and social workers.
Destiny Links, of the Plastic Surgery Department at the Western Cape Health Department, says the waiting period for gender change surgery grew every month.
“These patients all reside in the Western Cape. We still have patients in our system that had their gender-affirming surgery, but want other procedures done to make them look more masculine or more feminine.”
Jayde is hopeful things will happen sooner for her: “I would like to do the surgery between November and December”.
Jayde is a drag artist and recently featured on Divas One Night Only.