Chris's Top Surgery

Hi there!For those of you that don't know me, my name is Chris Elliott. I'm a 25 year old trans man from Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. I'm starting this page in hopes of fundraising part of the cost of top surgery, a gender confirmation surgery that involves the removal of my breasts and the masculinization of my chest. Newfoundland and Labrador is one of only 2 provinces in Canada that does not cover the costs of this necessary, non-elective surgery for FTMs. The cost of the surgery itself is roughly $8000 plus the cost of travel and accommodations as there are no surgeons that offer this surgery in the province. It goes without saying that I don't have that kind of money laying around.Why do I need this surgery? There are many reasons. First of all, they are a constant reminder of how uncomfortable I have always been in my body. Even while constantly wearing a binder, which is unsafe, itchy and sweaty, I'm always in fear that it doesn't flatten my chest completely and that people see me as something that I'm not. I have acne and rashes covering my chest and back as my skin never gets to breathe. Speaking of breathing, they also restrict by ability to breathe as it compresses my rib cage and prevents it from expanding to its full extent. I change my outfit several times everyday and check in the mirror constantly from different angle to make sure I'm flat. It's clearly evident from my body language that I'm never comfortable no matter what I do. I just want to be given the chance to feel like I'm in the right body.My goal is to raise $10,000 and I know I won't even get near that but anything to subsidize this huge expense would be appreciated more than you could ever imagine. If anyone has any questions about anything, I'm very open about it and am willing to talk to anyone to spread awareness about the struggles that the trans community faces.Thank you to everyone for your support, Chris