Childhood friends marry after one becomes a woman

Christopher Dodd and Fay Purdham are now living together as a couple after Fay transitioned to become a woman.

The childhood friends grew up together in Middlesborough but lost touch as teenagers. Fay, who was born Kevin, began taking hormones to become a woman shortly after.

Dodd, who studies chemistry at Middlesborough University, was reunited with his old friend at a party and describes being "gobsmacked by her beauty".

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"It took me some time to get my head around the fact that she used to be my best friend Kevin but I have never looked at her in any other way other than the fact she is a gorgeous woman."

Even as a young child, Miss Purdham says she knew she was different and told her family she was gay at age 12. "I used to play with cars and guns and play sports like my friends, but I also loved playing with dolls." At the age of 16 she began taking hormones to begin her transformation.

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Fay and Christopher were reunited a few years later at his 21st birthday party. The last time he’d seen me I was Kevin," recalls Fay. "His first words were 'God you look different' and we both burst out laughing."

“We sat talking for ages about the old days and then suddenly, he kissed me," she said. "And it felt like the right thing to do."

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The childhood friends are now engaged and planning a family, with Fay having frozen her sperm before undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

"We are so excited for our future. I still can’t believe that all this is happening. I feel very lucky that fate crossed our paths again. He’s definitely the man of my dreams and I know I’m his girl."