Alex's Fundraiser for top surgery

Hi! Thanks for stoppin' by.

So, for those of you who don't know who I am through Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram or whatever social media site -- I'm Alex... or Alexander/Al... whichever you feel like callin' me at the time.

Anyway, since you're visiting this page you probably already know I'm a (trans) guy. I started testosterone March 26, 2012 at Howard Brown Center in Chicago. And just for kicks, I'm 21 years old and am getting ready to graduate with a degree in graphic design.

Going into my transition, I never imagined myself creating one of these fundraiser pages. I've always told myself I wouldn't feel comfortable receiving money from friends, family and strangers without giving something in return. So, last June I designed a few t-shirts and uploaded them to various printing sites (like, Society6 and Spreadshirt) to finally begin my savings toward my surgery. The fact those sites would be doing the printing for me, the profit I make after every product sold would range anywhere from $1-3 depending on the price, whether it be a shirt or hoodie. The only way I could get a halfway decent profit was if I jacked up the prices of the products ridiculously.

Then, driving home from class recently I started to think, "What if I did make a gofundme page, but still gave a non-textual thanks to the individuals that donated?" Later, coincidentally, I received an anonymous message on tumblr asking if I had a page for donations, because they wanted to be able to donate to me without Society6/Spreadshirt taking more than 70% of the profit. While chatting with this person via messages they said something that really shed light on the situation for myself: "I think the majority of people who would be willing to donate aren't doing it for something in return." They also gave me a few small, personable and cute ideas I could do to return a thanks (that's more than textual).

It's extremely important for me to give thanks in return to all of you who donate. For me, this surgery would be a life changing operation and words wouldn't be able to thank you enough for your immensely kind gesture.

So! With alllllll that being said, when you donate I would like to send you a friendship bracelet made by me and a personal thank you note. If you're uncomfortable giving out your address (which is completely understandable!) I'm willing to send you a personal video thanking you. I'm also gonna make leather braided bracelets in black and brown.

Once again, thanks for taking time out of your day to stop and read this.

Cleveland Plastic Surgery - Dr. Medalie