MY DANNY WAS BORN A GIRL BUT HE'S ALL MAN TO ME

Alice crazy for builder who had £25k NHS sex swap

By Matthew Acton

TEENAGER Alice Tattersall was stunned to discover her hunky builder boyfriend had a secret past —as a golden-haired girl.

But yesterday, as she hugged handsome Danny Richardson— one of the NHS's youngest-ever sex swap recipients—she declared: "He's all man or I wouldn't be with him. I love him to pieces.

"He's a fantastic bloke—funny and sexy. It was a shock when I found out he used to be a girl called Katie—it certainly explained why he'd wanted to take the physical side so slowly.

"But once Danny explained all the traumas he'd been through I knew I wanted to be with him.

"As far as I'm concerned he IS a man. We have a lovely and fulfilled sex life. I couldn't ask for any more."

No, but 22-year-old Danny could. And after hormone treatment and painful surgery he is almost there.

He has completed two years of the £25,000 five-year course of gender realignment, paid for by the state, and now has body and facial hair, deep voice and a prominent Adam's apple.

He faces six more operations to finish the gender swap and give him the manhood he craves.

But Danny isn't letting a little thing like that spoil the fun for him and 19-year-old Alice! "It hasn't caused us a problem," he revealed with a cheeky grin. "We still make love like man and woman, thanks to sex toys.

"Last month I had my breasts removed, which was very painful. But I feel so much happier now, like a real boyfriend."

And he's actually looking forward to undergoing more surgery.

"It'll be worth it," he said. "I just want to make Alice as happy as she makes me."

Danny endured years of torment growing up in Sittingbourne, Kent, as Katie, a beautiful girl with tumbling golden ringlets.

"I've been unhappy since I was a little girl," he admitted. "From three years old I hated having to wear dresses and skirts.

"My sister Sarah's four years older than me and while she was playing with dolls I'd be climbing trees, getting covered in dirt, mucking about with Action Man and toy guns.

"But when I got older and went to high school I had my first crush—and it was on a girl, not a boy. I felt very confused.

"While the other girls were swooning over Take That, I was more into the Spice Girls! But it also made me upset and angry. I felt cheated that I was in the wrong body. I'd go to bed and cry myself to sleep every night.

"I despised the body I had and wanted a boy's. I hated my 34C breasts.

"I wasn't happy at school because of the torment and at 14 I just stopped going. I began working for my mum as a carer for the elderly.

"I loved that. I never told them my secret. I dressed as a boy and the older people just loved me for who I was."

But deep down, Danny was still in turmoil and turned to booze to escape his inner nightmare. "I'd down cheap alcopops or bottles of Malibu until I passed out," he said.

"At least then I didn't have to think about the body I hated."

At 16 Danny began dating another girl, had his first sexual experience and announced he was a lesbian.

His mum Joy, now a counsellor, dad Kevin and sister Sarah were shocked but glad he had at least found some happiness.

But at 18 the troubled teenager dropped the real bombshell—asking his mum to find out about organising a sex change.

Danny revealed: "Her jaw dropped and she said, ‘Over my dead body!' I just don't think she knew how to handle it. But since then she's been amazing.

"My doctor knew my history, the drinking and depression— and he agreed to put me forward for treatment at Charing Cross Gender Clinic.

"I began the hormones and within six weeks my voice dropped. I started growing a beard and hair on my legs and chest.

"I lost weight so my breasts shrank and trained so hard they became like pecs."

Danny met Alice at a bonfire night party. She didn't know anything about his past.

"She was going out with someone else and dumped him for me, which made me feel very special as a bloke. We took things slowly and just held hands and kissed and cuddled. Then, before I had the chance, one of my so-called friends told her my secret.

"Obviously it came as a massive shock and she was upset but we talked it through.

"At the time I still had small breasts and female organs down below but I explained that they were just physical things and inside I was a man.

"Alice was just brilliant and told me she loved me as Danny, and so to her I WAS Danny."

Now Danny says he wants a family of his own one day.

"I'd like to adopt because there are too many children out there who need a good home," he said.

"I think I'm still a bit maternal deep down."

But he loves his life as a man and really enjoys being one of the boys.

"I like going out for a pint after work on a Friday," he said.

"But I have to admit some of Katie's old habits die hard. My favourite tipple is still Malibu!"

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