PESHAWAR: “Since the age of 10, I knew something was wrong with me,” says 22-year-old Nabiullah who was living as a girl until recently.

Nabiullah was born to Mir Azam Khan’s family as a girl, who was named Nabeela.

Just four months ago, Nabeela complained of pain in stomach and was hospitalised for appendicitis but tests and examination showed there was no such problem.

Further tests and a visit to the gynecologist revealed that Nabeela’s problem was of different nature.

Sex-change surgery is the solution to her problem but Nabeela, now Nabiullah, is facing a dilemma.

The youngster spent 12 years of life almost in loneliness due to confusion about own sexuality.

Now that the doctor has suggested three surgeries to complete this transformation from a female to male, Nabi from a poor family of Naguman area doesn’t have any money to do so.

Mir Azam Khan, who pins all his hopes on Nabi now, is a poor labourer.

Khan himself is a heart patient and his wife often has attacks of schizophrenia.

All the family, including grandparents, are happy that they have a young male member to take care of them but how Nabi feels under all this pressure was evident from his face as he talked about what he wanted to do as a young man for his siblings, parents and grandparents.

“As a girl, I was not allowed to go to school but as a boy, I can work and help my father. The problem is that I am still confused as I am neither a complete man nor a complete woman,” says Nabi as tears wells up his eyes and his voice trembles.

Nabi spent teenage almost in seclusion since he felt there was something wrong with him. He could neither play with girls nor could he step out to play with boys.

“I thought I was responsible for whatever I was so I avoided everyone,” says Nabi.

Nabi, who still has a computerised national identity card, a proof that he was a girl, is trying to get a new and true identity but has no money to complete this transformation.The doctors have suggested three surgeries and the total cost of these procedures will be around Rs350,000.

“My father is a labourer. He can’t pay for my surgeries,” laments Nabi.

He appeals to provincial Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai, health experts, philanthropists and public for help him lead a normal life.