Help Dani Live Pain-Free with Breast Reduction

My name is Dani, I live a fulfilling life as an educator in museums and after-school programs and I'm temporarily volunteering to teach English as a foreign language. However, I've struggled with the physical and social difficulties of having horribly large breasts since I was 12 years old. As I'm currently living abroad, I have a blessed opportunity to get a breast reduction thanks to the exchange rate being in our favor. My goal is to raise four-thousand dollars to get this surgery. Currently, I'm a US size 32N and need to go down to a B or C cup to increase my quality of life. A reduction of this magnitude would allow me to exercise and perform standard duties at work without getting injured, stop paying $72 per bra, and be able to go outside without feeling embarassed.

Weighing in at just over 9 lbs, my chest causes incredible strain on my lower back muscles and spinal cord, especially when my center of gravity shifts forward. In my mid-twenties, I worked as a housekeeper in a hotel. The act of repeatedly bending forward to make the beds caused an injury in my lower back which had me bedridden for two months. This is an extreme example from a time with a more physical job, but now, my daily life doesn't feel much better. My bras - I wear an underwire in tandem with a sports bra to minimize and immobilize my breasts - dig into my shoulders and rib cage, leaving welts and sometimes even abrasions. My posture is poor, causing more long-term strain on my spine and as I inch toward my forties, I'm worried about the sustained damage this could cause.

Futhermore, as my metabolism slows, it's becoming harder to find exercises which I can do comfortably to maintain a healthy weight. I quit training for a marathon due to the stress that my (unnecessarily expensive) high-impact sports bra put on my shoulders and neck muscles. Roller derby was unsuccessful thanks to my unusually high center of gravity. Swimming is a non-starter, as finding a bathing suit that I feel comfortable in is impossible. These aree only a few of the very long list of sports that are inaccessible to women in my position.

Now, I walk everywhere I go in hopes to manage my health without causing strain on my muscles and spine, but the social implications of walking alone to and from work tend to present their own dangers. These dangers are not new or infrequent, though I see no point in talking about it here. For those who have been sexually harassed or assaulted, you already know what this feels like. For those who haven't, you couldn't possibly imagine.

I've attempted to raise the funds myself but my breasts affect my ability to work full-time which affects whether I qualify for insurance, so it feels like I'm caught in a vicious cycle. Recently, when I attempted to ask friends and family for help, many of those who had previously boasted support now showed indifference and sometimes even contempt when approached about the actuality of a reduction. One choice comment being, "Why would you want a reduction when the pros are so, so big?" This, and other statements like it, makes me feel like I don't matter as a person, but an object.

If you've ever felt held back by a body that doesn't feel like yours - or lived with daily pain you didn't choose - you understand why this matters. This surgery isn't about vanity. It's about mobility, relief, and reclaiming my life after twenty years of discomfort and damage. Even a small donation helps bring me closer to living pain-free. Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring.