Dear Friends and Community, On June 3rd, Maddie had major surgery performed by Dr. Marci Bowers--a world-renown surgeon and an angel of unmatched skill and heart. She heard Maddie's story and agreed to go ahead with it despite insurance delays. Since Wednesday, Maddie has had a few setbacks, but we are optimistic that she will be discharged by tomorrow. We will spend the next 10 days at a local hotel as Maddie and I learn to care for her catheter and surgical site. We will return to Santa Cruz on June 16th where she'll recover and build her strength back up over the rest of the summer. HOW YOU CAN HELP: We are deeply grateful for the immense outpouring of love and offers to help us through her two-week hotel stay and her subsequent recovery at home. Our wonderful friend Rosemary has set up a Give In Kind page to help coordinate support. I am relieved to share that Blue Shield will cover part of the medical expense so I'm not stuck with an 80k hopsital bill on top of other fees. However, I'm adding a GoFundMe link on this page for those who feel drawn and able to contribute towards the remaining bill. Your emotional support, meals, and community care mean the world to us as we move through this time of miracle and wonder. Thank you for wrapping Maddie and me in so much love. MADDIE'S STORY: For those who don't know, this is Maddie's 4th surgery to correct ongoing issues with her urinary tract and urethra from hypospadias at birth. The first two surgeries during infancy and at age four left her with obstructive scar tissue and a fistula. A third surgery at age 11 to correct the fistula was unsuccessful. We were told, "Let him figure out whether to pursue more surgery as an adult. More options may open up by then." And they did. . . alongside Maddie's realization that she is trans. Maddie endured embarrassing leaks and accidents as well as discomfort for almost ten years from that last botched procedure. We were fortunate to be referred to Dr. Marci Bowers, a pioneer in the field of GAV (gender-affirming vaginaplasty) who told us this surgery would elminate all the urinary problems while reshaping her body to fit her better. We started consulting with Dr. Bowers over a year ago, and it took months of careful research and preparation to bring us to this week. Unfortunately, we were told insurance denied coverage just days before the procedure. It turns out that our medical group, Dignity Health, does not cover transgender care. Fortunately, Exhibit 18 bounces such cases back to the insurance company, and Blue Shield of California has a wonderful Gender Care team that is going to cover most of it. I cried with relief when the rep called with this update. That's two days of crying happy tears. Just the day before, after a five-hour procedure that went splendidly. I burst into tears when Dr. Marci called me to say, "Congratulations! You have a beautiful baby girl!"