Friends,
There are lots of words below, directly from our hearts to yours, and we’d love it if you read til the end for an exciting surprise - our way of giving back to you & our community for all your love & support.
xoxo,
Danielle & Kim
In the midst of all that 2020 has brought us, it also brought a breast cancer scare for Danielle. In September, a lump led to an infection which led to three rounds of treatment and then the discovery of three questionable masses & two suspicious lymph nodes. In conjunction with Bronson Women’s Health and Spectrum Health Comprehensive Breast Clinic in Grand Rapids, these masses were deemed “likely benign” at the beginning of December; however, given Danielle’s extensive family history of early onset breast cancer, Danielle, Kim, & the team in GR decided a double mastectomy was the best preventative measure to rule out cancer now and in the future.
This is something Danielle has explored & desired for many years and long ago decided that if insurance would ever cover it, she would pursue it as a means of both cancer prevention and body/gender euphoria. That time has come! Danielle is having top surgery in Grand Rapids on January 8th with Dr. Amie Hop, who has years of surgical experience with both breast cancer and top surgery patients. This is a step towards both cancer prevention and alleviating gender dysphoria. Top surgery is often a part of a transition process; however, thanks to the courage, vulnerability, and transparency of so many others, it can also simply be a means by which someone seeks more comfort in their body - regardless of gender identity or transition goals/plans. Want to chat more about trans health, gender affirming surgery, or gender identity? Danielle is an open book!
We have had many conversations about what this time will look like for our family as Danielle will be in recovery at home for 4-6 weeks before easing back into work as allowed by her surgeon. As we began financially planning and preparing for this in October, we were not expecting the financial cost of Kim’s surgery and time off.
We were humbled and exceedingly grateful for all the ways in which our community showed up with help, love, & support through Kim’s surgery in November and Danielle’s family trauma in December. The meals, gift cards, love notes, & sense of community we felt on the receiving end of this love train carried us through many difficult days. And so, it is with a bit of hesitation & a heaping amount of vulnerability that we turn to you, our community, again for support.
But, we’re making it extra special! We feel abundantly grateful for forever indebted to you all and the unconditional love & support you’ve shown to our family and we want to do something creative, collaborative, & fun to show our appreciation.
This is the fun part! Every single person that contributes any amount to our GoFundMe will receive a very special, personal, collaborative gift or experience from us in 2021! Whether it’s a fabulous piece of art, the sounds of Kim tap dancing on your front porch, a beautiful wooden creation, D serenading you with her guitar, a surprise home repair, or something else our hearts haven’t dreamt up yet - on some undisclosed day next year, you will receive a surprise from our heart to yours. One lucky donor will have the hilarious honor of receiving a highly medicated profession of love from Danielle right after surgery!!
We will be documenting our process, gifts, and professions of love for our community for an entire year and these recorded experiences will feed into a greater collaborative project. Something big is brewing in us & this fundraiser is not only a humble ask for support, but also an invitation to join us in the wonder of something bigger.
If 2020 has given us anything it is bearing witness to a community that shows up for each other. Asking for help is not easy for most of us -- especially in a world that associates asking for help with weakness or laziness. However, I believe we all take a turn (or two or ten) needing help. Ask for what you need, be filled with gratitude, & give back to your community as often as you can. Together we can continue to create the world with love.
xoxo,
Danielle & Kim
There are lots of words below, directly from our hearts to yours, and we’d love it if you read til the end for an exciting surprise - our way of giving back to you & our community for all your love & support.
xoxo,
Danielle & Kim
In the midst of all that 2020 has brought us, it also brought a breast cancer scare for Danielle. In September, a lump led to an infection which led to three rounds of treatment and then the discovery of three questionable masses & two suspicious lymph nodes. In conjunction with Bronson Women’s Health and Spectrum Health Comprehensive Breast Clinic in Grand Rapids, these masses were deemed “likely benign” at the beginning of December; however, given Danielle’s extensive family history of early onset breast cancer, Danielle, Kim, & the team in GR decided a double mastectomy was the best preventative measure to rule out cancer now and in the future.
This is something Danielle has explored & desired for many years and long ago decided that if insurance would ever cover it, she would pursue it as a means of both cancer prevention and body/gender euphoria. That time has come! Danielle is having top surgery in Grand Rapids on January 8th with Dr. Amie Hop, who has years of surgical experience with both breast cancer and top surgery patients. This is a step towards both cancer prevention and alleviating gender dysphoria. Top surgery is often a part of a transition process; however, thanks to the courage, vulnerability, and transparency of so many others, it can also simply be a means by which someone seeks more comfort in their body - regardless of gender identity or transition goals/plans. Want to chat more about trans health, gender affirming surgery, or gender identity? Danielle is an open book!
We have had many conversations about what this time will look like for our family as Danielle will be in recovery at home for 4-6 weeks before easing back into work as allowed by her surgeon. As we began financially planning and preparing for this in October, we were not expecting the financial cost of Kim’s surgery and time off.
We were humbled and exceedingly grateful for all the ways in which our community showed up with help, love, & support through Kim’s surgery in November and Danielle’s family trauma in December. The meals, gift cards, love notes, & sense of community we felt on the receiving end of this love train carried us through many difficult days. And so, it is with a bit of hesitation & a heaping amount of vulnerability that we turn to you, our community, again for support.
But, we’re making it extra special! We feel abundantly grateful for forever indebted to you all and the unconditional love & support you’ve shown to our family and we want to do something creative, collaborative, & fun to show our appreciation.
This is the fun part! Every single person that contributes any amount to our GoFundMe will receive a very special, personal, collaborative gift or experience from us in 2021! Whether it’s a fabulous piece of art, the sounds of Kim tap dancing on your front porch, a beautiful wooden creation, D serenading you with her guitar, a surprise home repair, or something else our hearts haven’t dreamt up yet - on some undisclosed day next year, you will receive a surprise from our heart to yours. One lucky donor will have the hilarious honor of receiving a highly medicated profession of love from Danielle right after surgery!!
We will be documenting our process, gifts, and professions of love for our community for an entire year and these recorded experiences will feed into a greater collaborative project. Something big is brewing in us & this fundraiser is not only a humble ask for support, but also an invitation to join us in the wonder of something bigger.
If 2020 has given us anything it is bearing witness to a community that shows up for each other. Asking for help is not easy for most of us -- especially in a world that associates asking for help with weakness or laziness. However, I believe we all take a turn (or two or ten) needing help. Ask for what you need, be filled with gratitude, & give back to your community as often as you can. Together we can continue to create the world with love.
xoxo,
Danielle & Kim