AJEM Tattoo's Top Surgery & Recovery

Hi everyone, my name is Ash! I'm a transmasculine/nonbinary tattoo artist and illustrator in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and I could use some assistance paying for my gender affirming care. It is humbling to have to ask for help in this, and I'd like to spend some time sharing my story around it.

The last year has been a big one of discovering who I am and how I want to present myself. In August of 2022, I started Hormone Replacement Therapy. On top of this, I've realized that getting top surgery (having my breasts removed and chest reconstructed) will greatly improve my quality of life in ways I can't even describe.

I've been unhappy with my body for a long time, and my chest greatly contributes to dysphoria that makes it hard for me to function for my day to day. I had been binding my chest off and on since I was around 20 (so for the past 8 years, or so) and recently I haven't been able to because it exacerbates my chronic pain. I know that getting this surgery will change my life, and make it so much easier for me to go out and be myself, something we all deserve to do. Another big thing that happened this year is that I was hospitalized due to my rapidly decreasing mental health - in part due to dysphoria. I'm currently on my way to being an overall healthier person, but I know that I could be even healthier if I get this surgery.

After a lot of research and consideration, I had a top surgery consult in September of this year with a doctor at Tufts Medical Center. I got my top surgery recommendation letter done by my therapist (whom I've been working with for about 1.5 years and who has heard a lot about my dysphoria and what being trans means to me), and was able to schedule a tentative surgery date.

My insurance is covering a portion of this surgery, which I am incredibly grateful for, but unfortunately it isn't covering everything. For the surgery itself, I need to pay $4500 in full 2 weeks before my scheduled appointment.

Ontop of this, I need to create a cushion for myself so I'm able to take off 6 weeks of work to recover. As a tattoo artist, I'm grateful to be in the small group of folks who have health insurance. As a tattoo artist and shop owner, however, I need to consider how taking 6 weeks off will affect my ability to survive and pay all of my bills. It's not that taking time off of work means that I'll simply be not making money, it's that I'll actively be losing money because I have to continue paying for rent and other things to keep my business running while I'm out (especially because I own a private studio and am the only employee.)

I have a bad habit of pushing myself and trying to go back to work sooner than I should, and I want to make sure that I can dedicate these 6 weeks to proper healing.

Because of this, and the amount I have to spend on the surgery itself, my initial goal is $10,000. This will pay for my surgery, and will also pay for my basic bills (both personal and for my studio.)

The more I make, the more time I can dedicate to healing, so while basic funding is a dream, being over funded would be even dreamier. Anything I make in excess that I don't use for my own care, I'll be redistributing to other trans people's gender affirming care.

Ontop of this gofundme, I also am doing a fundraising print on my Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/ajemtattoo and I'm hosting a tattoo fundraiser on my instagram https://www.instagram.com/ajemtattoo . I also plan on working as much as I can between now and February to save up for surgery.

Thank you all so much for reading, and any bit helps a lot. I appreciate you all endlessly.