Introduction

Hello, I'm Saoirse! I'm a trans woman in Portland, OR, and I've been living authentically since 2020. I love corgis, all things Star Trek (I will talk your ear off about any random episode if you let me), and creating silly complex little backstories for all of my Dungeons and Dragons characters. I've been a mainstay in the Enlightened faction community for an augmented reality game called Ingress since 2012. I participate in an event called Extra Life to raise money for Doernbecher Children's Hospital that I am planning to participate in for the 12th year in a row in less than a month next November. I'm a photographer, accessibility advocate, and passionate soccer fan, and right now I could use your help.

The last few years have been enormously stressful; owing to the current hostile political climate towards trans people in the US, two rather intrusive and debilitating medical issues and the debt associated with treating them, and other unexpected expenses like rushing to get my passport documents updated when a window finally opened up for them. I have gotten by thus far on the generosity of others to cover things such as debt, past due bills, groceries, medication, or even a little treat when it's warranted. I am also privileged in that I have, for the moment, stable housing and employment.

I am also terrible at asking for help when I need it. The fact is, though, the cost of living has outgrown my current employment and now is in fact the time to ask for assistance in gaining some financial stability.

While I am securing that stability, I am looking to cover the following items for the next 9 months to alleviate the financial strains that come with them:

HRT medications

Every three months, I refill my prescriptions for three gender affirming HRT medications; estradiol, spironolactone, and progesterone. I could write a dissertation about how going on HRT has improved my life, but to keep it short, it is life saving medication. All of this works out to be $160 each refill or $480 total with my current insurance. It's the smallest amount of this ask, but I am constantly choosing between filling these medications and getting groceries for the week when they are due to be refilled.

Electrolysis treatments

I have been getting electrolysis from March 2025 to July 2025 and I have about 8 months left to go. These treatments have had an incredible impact on my quality of life and quelling of my gender dysphoria but require consistent sessions to be effective and have also left me with quite a lot of medical debt that I have been slowly working to clear away. The remaining amount equates to 35 sessions, in total $4,725, and it is the bulk of this ask.

Name updating legal fees

A long and tumultuous story short; the state of my birth has been refusing to update my birth certificate for the last half year on the basis of my middle name containing diacritical marks. It is, for lack of a better word, very silly but also incredibly draining. I finally got a lawyer involved this month on a referral that specializes in name change law and things are looking very promising now, but the time has elapsed on my pended application. The legal fees and the cost of resubmitting the application are about $1,000 total.

With everything together, my ask is for $6,250 as a buffer with the fees associated with the platform. This is a large amount, but the weight of these expenses taken off my plate will provide substantial relief.

Epilogue

If you've made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read and listen. I know things are hard for everyone right now. If you're not able to donate directly, that's okay. Sharing or boosting are equal ways to help too. I am eternally grateful for any help you can provide.

Love,

Saoirse