Reconstructive Surgery Deductible

UPDATE: Thanks to the generousity and support from everyone who donated and provided stability for me and my family in this very difficult time, we have prevailed and my surgery is now scheduled for December 24th, 2014.

With my mother getting her new job, our insurance options changed and we were provided with the oppurtunity to get amazing (yet costly!) health insurance that covers my surgery and views it as a non-cosmetic procedure.

Still, my insurance is nearly $600 a month, and the deductible for the operation is $700.

Between these two costs, it makes for a very tight budget and a close call for whether or not we will have the money to pay for the surgery to go through.

I am still asking for donations wherever possible to help bridge the financial gap and insure that I can have the surgery I've been trying to get for over 2 years.

As always, absolutely anything helps, and I would like to thank everyone who has already donated for contributing to my cause- it really means so much to me.

Thank you all so much!
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Hello!

My name is Däd Monk. I'm 16 years old, and I was born with a severe facial birth defect called 'cleft lip and palate'.
I've had over 20 surgeries in my lifetime to correct it.
All of these surgeries have been reconstructive, and life-essential. I would not be alive today if I hadn't had these surgeries- I would not have been able to breathe, eat, or speak correctly. My insurance immediately denies any surgeries that could be considered cosmetic by any strech of the imagination.

The problem is, I still need surgery. My scars are very, very visible, my nose and lip are asymmetrical, my profile is unbalanced- and people notice.
I was bullied about my looks in middle school, to the point of developing PTSD, and I am now a high school dropout because I cannot attend public school without fearing for my own safety.

My family has lived in poverty for years. We cannot afford any surgery. We cannot even afford the deductible our insurance would make us pay if they covered any kind of surgery.

I've applied to several foundations, only to be denied because of my age, or because they thought I wouldn't make a good enough news story for them.

I require surgery to be able to function properly in society, and I would like to be able to look in the mirror and be able to see past the defects. I really cannot imagine going about the rest of my life without surgery to correct them.

Please consider donating, it will make a huge positive imact on the rest of my life!