My name is Chase, and I’ve known since I was three years old that I was a boy.

When I was little, my name was Wendy, and I just wanted to live as the boy I knew I was. I couldn’t understand why people said that was wrong or why God would give me this truth if it wasn’t meant to be lived. By five, I had already learned what it felt like to be shamed for simply existing as myself.

I have a three-year-old son now, and when I look into his eyes, I see his light — his confidence and certainty in who he is. It makes me wonder what kind of man I could have been if the world had let me shine as freely. I’m asking for your help to put the light back in my eyes, to finish my journey, and finally come home to myself.

I grew up in Louisiana in the 1970s, a time and place where being different was not accepted — especially for a child like me. I was shamed for wanting short hair. I was punished for knowing I was a boy.

As I got older, the pain became unbearable. I was institutionalized multiple times before I turned 18 and forced into conversion therapy in my late teens and early 20s. Those experiences broke me in ways that are hard to put into words.

But somehow, I survived.

By the time I was 30 years old, still living in a female body, I realized I had two choices — I could give up, or I could transition.

So, I chose life.

I started my journey in Houston, Texas, where I began hormone therapy, and later had top surgery in Plano, Texas. That was twenty years ago. It wasn’t easy, but it saved my life.

Since then, I’ve worked hard to build a life filled with purpose. I dedicate my days to helping others who are often unseen — people who are struggling, marginalized, or forgotten. I know what it’s like to feel invisible, and I try to give others the compassion I once needed myself.

Now, at 50 years old, I’m ready to take the next step — one I’ve dreamed of since I was three years old — to complete my transition with bottom surgery and finally feel whole in my body.

This surgery isn’t about vanity. It’s about peace. It’s about living as the man I’ve always been inside.

I will need support while I recover. I don’t have local family or a caregiver, so I’ll be managing this process largely on my own.

Most of the cost of this surgery will likely come out of pocket, as my insurance has created numerous barriers and delays that make coverage uncertain. If any funds raised go beyond what I need for my own care, I plan to pass them on to other transgender people who are in a similar situation — especially those without family or loved ones to support them. I know how lonely it can be to navigate this journey without that support, and I want to help others feel less alone.

Every donation brings me closer to a lifelong dream — to finally live fully as the man I’ve always known myself to be. Every share of my story helps raise awareness, spreads compassion, and brings me closer to healing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, for your kindness, and for helping me take this

final step toward being whole.

With gratitude,

Chase