This 80-year-old trans woman proves it’s never too late to be yourself

A retired trans firefighter has proven to the world that you’re never too old to be yourself after undergoing gender reassignment surgery at 80.

Isobel Jeffrey had always felt from an early age that something wasn’t quite right. She told Good Morning Britain that she worked through her feelings of gender dysphoria with wife Margaret.

She said that she handled her feelings by working jobs that made her feel “manly,” whilst secretly wearing dresses in the privacy of her own home that her wife would buy for her.

But after 40 years of living in the closet, she finally decided, with the consent of her supportive wife, to publicly transition at 70 years of age.

“When I was younger, they were still imprisoning homosexuals, trans people weren’t even talked about,” she told the Good Morning Britain hosts.

“I had the support of a wonderful, wonderful wife who I shall have been married to for 60 years.”

Her wife was taken to a care home after she developed symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. After wishing to transition before it was too late, Isobel’s wife reportedly said: “Whatever makes you happy, dear.”

She came out to her family in 2018 and was met with full support by “95 per cent” of those she told.

“Things went on from there, I had certain medical things I went to see my doctor for certain formalities and hurdles to jump.”

Due to the intense waiting times for gender confirmation surgery for trans people, Isobel was forced to go private, paying most of her retirement money towards the procedure.

Her surgeon, Chris Seipp, said he was blown away when he met Isobel, saying her motivation “is just exceptional.”

Isobel, in turn, described Seipp as a “wonderful, wonderful man.”