Madeline's Surgery Fund

*Update: we're floored at the love dollars coming in from Madeline’s community. Our initial $6000 goal was just hardly covering starting to pay off debt and care expenses. We are increasing it by $1000 with the hope of providing an in home caregiver for at least a month and a half post op, and a rent/bills/food/mental health care buffer in the event that her recovery takes longer than anticipated. This is extremely likely with her existing health conditions, so if we can keep her on rest and less stress for as long as possible it will drastically impact her recovery overall!!

In late January, 2023, Madeline got a long-awaited transgender-confirming bottom surgery in Portland, OR at OSU through Apple Health. She’d been on the waitlist, had done lots of prep work, including numerous doctors/therapist/referrals, etc., and she was extremely ready to get her surgery. The actual surgery went as planned, but she was in way worse pain than expected afterwards, and she developed a hematoma. She lost a lot of blood and had to get a blood transfusion, and there was severe swelling at the site, which affected the results of the surgery substantially. Due to the surgery, what was an undiagnosed chronic illness—which has caused her chronic pain for years—intensified, suddenly and severely, and has since been diagnosed as consistent with fibromyalgia. Madeline needs a revision surgery, which has been approved for late April 2024. After a long year of already losing a lot of work due to the original surgery, and the many symptoms of constant flares of fibromyalgia that it has caused, Madeline needs financial support for food, rent, and care, while she heals from the revision surgery.

Madeline is a gifted and dedicated caregiver and social worker at the Interfaith shelter in Olympia. Anyone who has witnessed her working with people she supports (which she’s done for over 10 years as an in-home caregiver for adults with disabilities, and now at the shelter) knows how much love she pours into her work. Due to the surgery and fibro flares, she has lost a lot of work. She considers it a good week when she is able to get to all 3 of her shifts, but she’s only been able to do that a few times over the past year, and she is really struggling to support herself.

She usually has a hard time asking for help, and not being able to support herself has affected her mental health in a huge way. She is in debt from this year-long incomplete process of recovery and being unable to work, and is scared to take more time off of work for the much-needed revision surgery. We don’t want her to push her body beyond its capacity as we see her increasing levels of pain and flare-ups. We love Madeline so much and want her to have space to rest and heal from her revision surgery!! She brings so much care, kindness, silliness, beautiful music and light to the world, and we want her to have the support she needs to get better!! Any money you add to the pot will be used to pay for her rent, food, and revision surgery aftercare.