Help Basil Janie afford 3 surgeries in 1 year
Edit 4/25: I'm thrilled to say that in addition to FFS, I'm lined up for breast augmentation and vaginoplasty as well in November and next February respectively (with those being mostly covered by my insurance)! Therefore, I'm rebranding this fundraiser to be more all-encompassing. My FFS date is just over 3 months from now and I still have a long ways to go monetarily, with this fundraiser's initial goal of $5000 being only an 8th of what I'll need - and I don't yet know how much I'll need to pay out-of-pocket for my other surgeries. I've decided to expand my goal to better reflect my situation. I appreciate everyone's generosity so much, every share and gesture of support means the world to me!
The short version; my surgery date is 8/4/22 and I need 40k by then. I got a loan and am working my ass off to save up but really need your help.
The long version; my name is Basil Jane Stevens. I'm a jewish trans woman, a sex worker, a food service worker, and an artist. Every day, dysphoria permeates all facets of my life. My body developed in a way that is fundamentally incorrect, and 4.5 years of HRT and an orchiectomy hasn't healed the disconnect that I constantly feel all the way down to my bones.
Thus brings me to the point - my skull requires modification via facial feminization surgery (FFS) to return it to how it would have been had testosterone not run its course. Last year I crowdfunded non-surgical, additive methods of facial feminization, and although the relief I experienced from those procedures was incredibly powerful and helpful, the effects of many of them have already diminished or worn off completely. It's apparent that I need a more dramatic and permanent surgical solution.
Although OHP and Kaiser now cover FFS, the soonest surgery date available would be in mid to late 2024. Frankly, my facial dysphoria is too intense to just keep sitting with it for that much longer.
Therefore, I've decided to pay out of pocket for FFS in Thailand, as it's one of the least expensive destinations for medical travel, and contains some of the world's leading practitioners of gender affirming surgeries, with much shorter wait times. I've chosen Dr. Chettawut Tulayapanich MD in Bangkok, and set a surgery date of August 4th, 2022.
The surgery itself costs $33,028, and I can expect additional expenses to bring the total cost to around $40k. I was able to take out a sizable loan, and between sex work and a full time food service job, I'm doing everything I can right now to raise as much money as possible. I've set what I think is a reasonable goal for this fundraiser - now more than ever, I need the help of my community. Thank you in advance, and please share!