Help Penelope get Gender Affirming Surgeries

Hello!

My name is Penelope. I am a therapist and a content creator on YouTube. I am also a trans woman who struggles with chronic illness in the form of intractable migraines and chemical sensitivities. I live with my partner and my child, the former struggling with chronic illness and being unable to work due to it, and the latter struggling with ADHD and Autism and going to college. Needless to say, I am my family's only source of income. We get by with my paychecks and the small amount of money we make from YouTube.

However, I am making this GoFundMe and asking for assistance with something I cannot afford as the only source of income for my family. As I said above, I am a transgender woman and despite having relatively good insurance, I was recently denied by BCBS for gender-affirming surgery, specifically for Facial Feminization Surgery.

As a transgender woman, I struggle with gender dysphoria, and one of the things that particularly makes me dysphoric is the shape of my face. While I can do a lot with makeup, it isn't sufficient for the things that I notice. These things are a struggle for me and feel like barriers to living as my true identity. Dysphoria increases my depression and anxiety. This is where surgery comes in.

The surgeries I am looking to do are Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS which is a catch-all term for several procedures), Breast Augmentation (BA), & Gender Affirming Bottom Surgery, or what is called Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS).

The total funds I am asking for is 30K and it will be spent as follows: Cost of surgeries as well as any additional fees, cost of travel, Cost of staying in Wisconsin for FFS until I am able to travel, and help with the lost income while I recovering after these surgeries. As well as any other unforeseen costs. Any remaining money in the unlikely event that there is any will be put aside for another gender affirmation surgery goal.

I know the amount I am asking for is a lot and I am sure there are other people more in need. But please understand that this is important to me. I do not have much in the way of family beyond my wonderful partner Zena and my child as well as our community. While those in my found family are wonderful, I do not have the ability to ask anyone to help with this. I am on my own.

It is hard to explain, but there is a joy in coming to know who you are but with that joy comes a certain level of difficulty as it can feel painful when some part of you isn't getting with the program and aligning with your identity. My job has me on camera for 7 hours a day with clients and I stream on YouTube at least once a week. I am constantly reminded that I don't look the way I should.

I hope that clearly lays out my request.

I deeply appreciate any and all help and thank you for reading this far.

Sincerely,

Penelope Morrow