Help Damián Afford Top Surgery!
UPDATE FROM DAMIÁN 12/16/2021:
Since starting a new job this summer, I’ve been working with my new insurance and the surgery center to get my top surgery scheduled and paid for. It has been a lot of waiting. My surgery has been rescheduled 3 times, each time it’s been pushed back for months. My most recent application to the insurance was denied, and I sent an appeal that will take another month to be reviewed. There’s a strong chance it will be denied and my surgery will be postponed again. I want to get the surgery done and start my life, so I am going to try to pay for the surgery out of pocket.
Luckily we have a lower price goal since I am now living in Austin and won't have to cover travel/housing expenses! The Crane Center provided the following estimates for self-pay:
"The surgery self pay quote is $5,500.00 USD. You should expect to pay approximately $2,650 in facility and anesthesia fees combined as self pay. These additional fees will be paid to the hospital and anesthesia groups directly."
This makes the total cost $8,150, which means we are only $3,784 away thanks to everybody's generous donations at the beginning of the summer! The support I have received has been overwhelming, and I am so grateful to everybody that has donated or shared so far. If we are able to raise the remaining money, my surgery date will February 18, 2022! If you can't donate, even sharing this page helps so much--thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
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PLEASE NOTE: If you are associated with or know Damián's family, we ask that you keep this fundraiser private from them!
We are raising funds to help beloved friend, artist, and community member Damián Zapien afford top surgery! Damian has been saving funds and researching doctors for almost a year now, and has finally confirmed an appointment with a surgeon at the Crane Center in Austin, Texas.
FROM DAMIÁN:
Hi! My name is Damián, I am 22 years old and I am proudly trans. Being raised in Texas, I didn't really know what being trans meant. I constantly felt uncomfortable with myself. I never fit in with other girls in school and had resigned to never loving my body. When I heard my dead name I felt disconnected from it. I was teased for being a tomboy and wanting to dress like a boy. The bullying was so intense that whenever I was mistaken as a boy, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of self hatred. I was never allowed to be comfortable - regardless of how I dressed. And then I began to develop breasts. Clothes shopping was horrible; I would have panic attacks in the dressing room while trying on skirts, dresses, tank tops. I was disgusted with myself. I would wear hoodies and flannels in an attempt to hide my chest.
I never questioned why these awful feelings of dissatisfaction with my body were coming up until recently. During my junior year at Vassar College I met a trans man in one of my classes. He radiated confidence, always smiling, proudly showing off his top surgery scars. I became scared that my fascination with him meant something about my own self. I began scouring the internet for pictures of trans men, learning about their identities and reading their stories. With every triumphant photo of a post-op trans person I felt more intensely in my heart that this is what I had always been missing. I cut my hair short and used mascara to draw a beard on myself. I flattened my chest with my hands and after so many years, I finally saw myself.
It’s been a while since I changed my name to Damián. Everyday that passes I feel more sure of myself, more confident and proud of being trans. But at the same time, that self-assurance has led to an even stronger sense of dysphoria every time I look at my chest. I change clothes a dozen times a day attempting to hide my breasts. I try wearing binders but since my chest is large, I can barely breath. I don’t feel comfortable running or swimming, and I buy clothes way too large for my body just so they don’t press against my chest and remind me what’s there. I am aching to have this surgery so I can feel free in my body, wear tight clothes, and love myself even more.
Thank you all so much in advance for your generosity! If you can't give right now, even a share is greatly appreciated.
BREAKDOWN OF COSTS:
Surgery (without insurance, quote from Crane Center): $12,700
Flights to and from Austin (from Chicago): $300
Hotel/housing for the week of surgery: $600
Total we are hoping to fundraise: $13,600
PLEASE NOTE: If you are associated with or know Damián's family, we ask that you keep this fundraiser private from them!
