Hi there! My name is Asher and I'm raising money to help cover the costs of obtaining and recovering from gender-affirming top surgery during this upcoming summer.

My Story

For years I struggled with my gender identity and refused to voice these thoughts to anyone else. I knew I loved myself, internally, as a person, but I also recognized that I was deeply uncomfortable with certain aspects of my body, my chest being the main one of those. Eventually, I came to realize and accept that I wanted top surgery. I actually came to this realization many months before I actually built up the courage to come out as trans to myself and my loved ones. Over the past three years, I have continued on my journey, coming out to everyone in my life, starting testosterone, seeing myself reflected in the mirror more and more as time has gone on, and being able to live authentically and in a way that is true to myself.

Although it is a major surgery, it is low-risk and it will allow me to stop binding (which can have negative side effects when done for too long) and live freely and at ease within my own body. Since the beginning, I have known that the most affirming part of my journey, top surgery, would also be the largest obstacle due to the substantial cost as well as recovery time needed for it. As a result, I have continually put off getting top surgery, largely in part because it seemed that every time I would start to save money, things would happen in life and I would have to use up my savings. As a result, it started to feel like it would be a really, really long time before I was able to save up the exorbitant amount of money I would need to make getting top surgery a reality.

Throughout my life, I have never been very good at asking for help. I always felt that I had to prove that I could do everything on my own, even as I encouraged my own friends and loved ones that asking for help was a good thing, I struggled to remember that lesson for myself. However, I am lucky and extremely grateful to be surrounded by an amazing group of friends and loved ones who have continually supported me and taken the time to remind me that it is okay to ask for help and that you are stronger for it when you trust in the power of community and humanity.

In an ideal world, I would have the funds and time to be able to do this without asking for help, but, for a myriad of reasons, I no longer feel that I can wait, out of the pursuit of my own happiness and comfort in my body as well as out of fear at the substantial amount of anti-trans legislation happening across the country and the possibility of my choice to have this surgery being taken away from me.

In order to end up on an uplifting note rather than a dark one, I would like to start by saying that I am deeply appreciative of my community for all of their continual love and support as well as any support I may receive for this particular purpose. I feel deeply blessed to know and be surrounded by great humans and I look forward to being able to return these gestures of mutual aid and care in the future.

Thank you,

Mick

p.s. I’ve included more of a breakdown below of how the funds will be used from this fundraiser.

The Costs

Surgery Fees:

Recovery Time:

Travel Expenses:

Additional Resources

Recovery Timeline

What is top surgery