help a disabled trans person access life-changing surgery

9/19 UPDATE: before i had my date set for this surgery, i was rear-ended. i was hoping the insurance of the person responsible would settle things and get my car fixed, but they're purposefully dragging their feet, and i cannot make it to surgery without a vehicle. i live in a place that is pretty much unlivable for a disabled person without transportation. i've been fighting with them for 3 weeks now, and they don't seem any closer to actually settling my claim, having just now requested a payoff quote from my loan holder despite me asking them for that number for weeks. i've found another used car i could get into with reasonable payments for ~1.5-2k. anything raised past the initial amount of 4.4k will go to a down payment. i'm so sorry to have to keep asking for help, this wasn't something i planned to crowdfund, but i realistically just can't make plans for surgery or recovery without a car.

i will upload proof of the car being rear-ended and the insurance claim dragging on soon. i just haven't had the time or energy to focus on it. i am still working as much as humanly possible right now, but art sales have slowed, and i need help. i'm so sorry. thank y'all for everything.

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as i'm sure most ppl who'll see this know, my name is johnny and i'm a disabled trans masc dude of color living in arkansas. i've been trying to access gender affirming surgery (top surgery specifically) for 2 decades now with no success. i had pretty much given up, but now i have one good shot at getting the only surgery i want in pursuit of my transition.

the catch is that i need to have it done before the end of 2025 - probably by the end of october - or my insurance deductible will more than double the cost, putting it once again out of my reach. the idea of it dangling in front of me and me just being too poor to take it is torture.

i cannot go without a binder, which exacerbates my chronic pain and fatigue and makes me far more susceptible to overheating. i cannot go swimming, which would help me build muscle without putting too much strain on my body, thus helping with my disabilities. the presence of an obvious binder beneath my clothing also puts me in danger, as it effectively "outs" me as trans in a place that is very transphobic. i have had many, many interactions of being correctly gendered until the other person sees my binder, at which point they treat me differently, begin to misgender me, etc.

the cost breakdown is as-follows:

-1,650 for the surgery itself. this includes aftercare by the surgeon and his team.

-200 for gas and hotel stay. this is for the gas to drive to the appointments (it's out of town for me) and for one night at a hotel nearby so i can be seen for the normal aftercare appointment the following day.

-2,000 for daily expenses such as bills, food, meds, animal care, etc. while i recover. this is the largest part that i've never been able to cover myself. as a disabled artist living with another disabled person, i cannot afford to take the time off work to actually recover from the surgery without putting our stability (what little we have) at risk. 2k covers most of my bills for about a month.

sharing and donations are extremely appreciated. thank y'all.

edit: i've raised the goal 350 dollars (from $3,850 to $4,200) to cover the cost of an extra night of hotel stay so i don't have to rush home after surgery as well as a night of boarding for my dog so i don't have to worry about him for at least one evening. just so it's clear why the goal increased. thank y'all so, so much for all of the donations so far.

another edit: SURGERY SCHEDULED FOR MID OCTOBER. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. i literally don't know how to feel yet. i haven't... been able to really process that this is real. i'm scared and excited and anxious and elated. thank you, thank you, thank you.

i also went ahead and rounded up a bit more. i did not realize that transaction fees would be taking ~150 from this, so that was part of it. that will also go to cover more boarding for my dog bc a couple of days without him being super excitable after surgery might be a good idea. if i don't make these stretch goals, i will still have the surgery. this is just to make recovery easier.