Help Ada Afford Facial Feminization Surgery
Donation protected
Hi everybody!
Today (Nov. 26th) is my 33rd birthday. I've been openly transitioning from M to F for nearly three years. Embracing my identity as a transgender woman has been a slow but steady process of discovering and excavating my true self from layers upon layers of compulsory male-ness. The traumas of living and socializing in a gender that always felt wrong are many and run very deep—but the accompanying anger, shame, and sadness is compounded and exacerbated by overwhelming, often crippling frustration at the version of my body I'm stuck in.
Thankfully, modern medical science has ways to help with my gender dysphoria. I’ve been extremely lucky to live in a city where I have been able to receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT), laser hair removal, mental health counselling, and trans-friendly primary medical care. I pay for many of these ongoing treatments out-of-pocket, and they are truly life-saving. No amount of pills or psychologists can fix the effect that decades of testosterone have had on my skull though—for that, the only option is facial feminization surgery (FFS). FFS is an umbrella term for surgical procedures to soften masculine features into shapes more typically clocked as feminine.
While my insurance covers other forms of gender confirmation surgery to some extent (like top and bottom surgery) FFS, the most important procedure for me to reduce my dysphoria and ensure my safety in transphobic societies both domestic and foreign, is frustratingly not. I could go on a rant about how a brow lift is as much a necessary medical procedure as breast augmentation for affirming my identity, but at the end of the day, insurance companies consider the former to be cosmetic and elective.
I’ve found a caring, incredible, and world-renowned clinic in San Francisco that specializes in FFS. My consultation with the surgeon in October 2019 left me incredibly hopeful that I will finally have the chance to see my real face that has been hidden for so long. As an artist from a lower socioeconomic class, the costs associated with FFS are especially overwhelming, but I’m committed to save as much as I can towards it.
It’s scary sharing such personal information, let alone asking for financial help—I truly wish my circumstances didn’t require this. I’ve broken down expenses quoted by the clinic for FFS below. If you have any questions, please contact me! I’d be happy to answer them.
Cost breakdown:
Anesthesia fees - $1,850.00
Facility and time fees - $5,620.00
Operating room charge - $4,030
Overnight stay - $1,590
Surgery fees (x6 procedures) - $32,000.00
Total: $39,470.00
Anything you are willing to give, no matter how small, means the world to me, even if it is just sharing my story with other folks. Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering supporting a trans artist in pursuit of health and happiness.
Love,
Ada
P.S. Just for fun, I’ve included my x-rays from the consult because I think they're cool to look at!
Today (Nov. 26th) is my 33rd birthday. I've been openly transitioning from M to F for nearly three years. Embracing my identity as a transgender woman has been a slow but steady process of discovering and excavating my true self from layers upon layers of compulsory male-ness. The traumas of living and socializing in a gender that always felt wrong are many and run very deep—but the accompanying anger, shame, and sadness is compounded and exacerbated by overwhelming, often crippling frustration at the version of my body I'm stuck in.
Thankfully, modern medical science has ways to help with my gender dysphoria. I’ve been extremely lucky to live in a city where I have been able to receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT), laser hair removal, mental health counselling, and trans-friendly primary medical care. I pay for many of these ongoing treatments out-of-pocket, and they are truly life-saving. No amount of pills or psychologists can fix the effect that decades of testosterone have had on my skull though—for that, the only option is facial feminization surgery (FFS). FFS is an umbrella term for surgical procedures to soften masculine features into shapes more typically clocked as feminine.
While my insurance covers other forms of gender confirmation surgery to some extent (like top and bottom surgery) FFS, the most important procedure for me to reduce my dysphoria and ensure my safety in transphobic societies both domestic and foreign, is frustratingly not. I could go on a rant about how a brow lift is as much a necessary medical procedure as breast augmentation for affirming my identity, but at the end of the day, insurance companies consider the former to be cosmetic and elective.
I’ve found a caring, incredible, and world-renowned clinic in San Francisco that specializes in FFS. My consultation with the surgeon in October 2019 left me incredibly hopeful that I will finally have the chance to see my real face that has been hidden for so long. As an artist from a lower socioeconomic class, the costs associated with FFS are especially overwhelming, but I’m committed to save as much as I can towards it.
It’s scary sharing such personal information, let alone asking for financial help—I truly wish my circumstances didn’t require this. I’ve broken down expenses quoted by the clinic for FFS below. If you have any questions, please contact me! I’d be happy to answer them.
Cost breakdown:
Anesthesia fees - $1,850.00
Facility and time fees - $5,620.00
Operating room charge - $4,030
Overnight stay - $1,590
Surgery fees (x6 procedures) - $32,000.00
Total: $39,470.00
Anything you are willing to give, no matter how small, means the world to me, even if it is just sharing my story with other folks. Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering supporting a trans artist in pursuit of health and happiness.
Love,
Ada
P.S. Just for fun, I’ve included my x-rays from the consult because I think they're cool to look at!
Organizer
Ada Westfall
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY