Important: I am not at risk of permanent job or housing loss. I'm being transparent with my circumstances below and want to encourage you to be judicious with how you distribute your funds if you don't have much to give. I encourage everyone in my community to partake in mutual aid, but if your disposable income is limited, please prioritize giving to more urgent fundraising efforts benefiting my Black queer and trans siblings.

I've been out as a trans woman for almost five years now, and even when I was in the closet, the dysphoria from the effects of male puberty has been excruciating to experience. I have always felt that classic trope of "I'm in the wrong body," and it wasn't until starting hormones in 2022 that I felt like it was truly possible for me to be comfortable with myself. And even on the first day I got my HRT prescription, I thought to myself, "I'm on the way to being able to get FFS."

FFS (Facial Feminization Surgery) was the number one thing on my mind from the very beginning, before I even accepted myself as a trans woman. I am a famous procrastinator, and researching surgeons was very daunting. Trusting someone with this was really hard for me, but I was recommended Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez at NYU Langone and heard great things. It took me almost a year to get in for a consultation, calling at the beginnings and ends of every week for 9 months to get off the waitlist. And when I finally met him back in March, I was in tears at how right it all felt as he talked about the procedures he'd recommend.

I was denied by my previous insurance twice for coverage, but I finally got onto Amida Care and was able to lock in a date, October 14th, 2025, and get the core costs covered. As the date approaches, I'm in need of some community support to get me through recovery and help me pay for other medical expenses I wasn't able to get covered.

I'm planning for about three weeks off from work for full recovery, and since I'm an hourly employee at my job, I don't have enough PTO or sick hours to be able to afford that. This will put me out about $2600 that I rely on from my paychecks to make rent, utilities, student loan payments, food, hygiene products, etc.

Before I was able to get onto Amida Care, my copay for the preliminary CT scan was approximately $1200. With other pre-screen medical bills and check-ups, that comes to about $1700.

I've factored in a couple hundred more as a cushion for my pain medication and any excess medical expenses that may pop up, as well as delivery fees I may need in recovery for food.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for any amount you can give, any consideration, and any sharing with others in your community. This is an incredibly personal journey and I don’t necessarily like having it out there but need to ask for some help.