My name is Sage Miller, and I'm a 25-year-old trans man on a journey towards a life free from chronic pain and fully aligned with my most authentic self. For years, my focus has been on caring for my family, which led me to put my own needs, including essential medical care like top surgery, on hold. My current minimum wage job offers very limited benefits for gender-affirming care, making it challenging to afford this life-changing procedure on my own.

Beyond being a crucial step in my gender affirmation, top surgery is medically necessary for my physical health. At just twenty-two, I was diagnosed with nerve damage in my left shoulder, a direct result of the significant physical strain from the weight of my chest tissue. This chronic pain makes simple daily tasks difficult and impacts my ability to fully engage in my passions, like creating art for my local community, taking care of my disabled parents.

On top of that, while under the knife for this surgery, our communal bathroom in our house had a leak in the toilet that revealed years of water damage, asbestos, and mold. I couldn't use this bathroom for most of my recovery time.

I was lucky enough to be approved for several personal loans as my parents are not available for most credit given their history.

I am asking for help in rebuilding not only my life by helping in carry this burden for my family.

Thank you all for reading this all, and I hope you find it in your heart to help us.