“All these years I’d been living a lie and I realised it was time to be true to myself.”
For thirty years, Matthew Avedian had it all—a dream job and a family. But he wasn’t totally happy. In his heart, he felt he was really a woman.
So, in November 2012 he decided to follow his heart, tell his wife about his deepest secret, and begin the medical procedures to become a female. For months, he took estrogen and underwent complex surgeries, breast implants, and laser hair removal treatment.
From being called a macho alpha male, the once hulking 5-ft 9-in man is now a stunning, sexy blonde named Sona.
In an interview, the 33-year-old transgender said at the age of seven, he realized he was a girl when his mom caught him trying on his sister’s clothes.
“Mum told me that what I was doing was wrong. I came from a deeply religious family and they found anything outside the norm hard to tolerate.” He also expressed being devastated and ashamed, saying, “I knew I wanted to be a girl, but society wouldn’t permit it.” So, he promised herself never to try on his sister’s clothes again.
Growing up, it wasn’t easy for Matthew to hide his true self. So, in order to bury his feminine side, he decided to join the US Marines. He compensated for his secret by becoming too manly. “I was lifting weights six days a week and would go shooting with the lads. I thought that if I became more macho, I’d stop wanting to explore my feminine side,” he said.
However, Matthew would cross-dress when his colleagues were not present. But he admitted being afraid that someone would find out so he built a normal life.
By the age of 23, he left the marines. Then, in 2005, Matthew and his fiancee, Lucy, a neurologist, tied the knot. “I didn’t fancy women, but I wanted to settle down and loved Lucy deeply as a person,” he explained.
When their daughter was born in 2010, Matthew thought being a father would “cure” him, but it didn’t. “I wondered how I could be a good parent and teach my child how to enjoy an honest, authentic life when I was living a lie,” he said.
Their married life became stressful when Matthew could not get sexually intimate with Lucy.
It wasn’t until November 2012 when he bravely told his wife the truth. Although brokenhearted, Lucy supported him through his transition over several months.
In order not to shock their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Matthew first wore a feminine top and grew his hair longer. He said, “She was totally unconcerned and just pleased that Daddy was happy.”
He also went on a weight loss program and had laser hair removal, hormone treatment, and a breast augmentation.
By June 2013, Lucy and Matthew finally got divorced.
Speaking about his transformation, Sona said he was happier than ever. “The final stage in my journey will be to have a vagina made.”
Today, Sona works as a comedian. He is also an advocate for the transgender community and a motivational speaker.
Featured image via YouTube/Unilad
