Madly in love and convinced she had found the perfect man, one woman was shocked to learn her boyfriend's deepest secret - he was born a GIRL. And it is not even difficult to see how the 20 year old girl, Charlotte Urie, had no clue.
For years, her 23-year-old handsome new beau, Kieran Moloney who was born a female called Ciara had kept his sex-swap a secret. Growing up as a child, he had been unhappy with his gender and had no interest in girlie things - bursting into tears if his Mum put him in a dress. When Kieran started primary school, he became a target for bullies. And when puberty hit, the teenager's confusing
feelings escalated.
"I hated seeing my breasts develop and I was jealous of the boys at school when their voices dropped and they started shaving. I hated being a girl."
At 14, Kieran lost his virginity to a boy, but says it felt wrong. After seeing a counsellor aged 16, Kieran was finally diagnosed as transgender.
He says:
"I started taking hormone tablets which lowered my voice and gave me more body hair. I loved the changes."
Kieran's family supported him and his mum Bronagh Moloney, 49, a nurse, began calling him her son. By 17, fine hairs started to grow on Kieran's face and with a rigorous gym workout, Kieran's body was transforming into a man's.
He began binding his breasts with sports tape, spending £20 a week in a quest to hide any hint of being a female. Gradually his cup size dropped from a B to an A. In November 2009, aged 18, Kieran started monthly testosterone injections and, two years later, had a £5k double mastectomy, paid for by his mum. Today, with his chiselled jawline and bulging biceps Kieran would not look out of place on a Hollywood red carpet.
Despite the shocking revelation, Kieran and Charlotte are stronger than ever, and are now hoping to get married and start a family -using Kieran's best friend as a sperm donor.
