Help Shane Ortega cover his trans related medical bills

My name is Holden Madagame and I'm creating this fundraiser for Shane Ortega to help cover his medical bills related to trans healthcare.

Who is Shane?

Shane Ortega is an indigenous former US Marine and Army veteran, and the first openly transgender soldier in the United States military. He is an activist, sound therapist, and DJ under the moniker Läuper , among other things, and now lives in Berlin, Germany, having lived in Thailand for the past several years.

Here is an interview with Shane so you can get to know him a bit:

What is the problem?

Over the past few months, Shane has had almost constant bacterial infections and UTIs due to complications from his bottom surgery. Having recently moved to Berlin, Germany, he does not have access to the original surgeon who did this in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and is not yet on public healthcare in Germany to be able to cover his medical costs. Private insurance generally does not cover transgender healthcare, and often doctors will not allow him to book appointments or will severely delay the process if not on public insurance. Important to understand is that it is currently not safe for Shane to travel back to the US as a transgender person, and is otherwise prohibitively expensive.

He has gone to many doctors in Berlin and talked to others in Düsseldorf and Hamburg to try and get his problem diagnosed, but has been misdiagnosed and mistreated many times in Berlin, which has further complicated the issue.

Shane is very tired, sick, and needs relief very soon.

Where does the money go?

The money goes directly to Shane to cover his increasing medical bills. This practically means he is able to focus on his health without overstretching himself physically and mentally to get more jobs, and he is able to recover.

How else can I help if I don't have money?

Sharing this campaign is a huge help. I know everyone says that, but it really does help. Sending the link to this campaign to one personal contact makes a huge difference. Sharing it in a group chat is amazing. Sharing on social media is good too.

Another way you can help if you live in Berlin is to contact me, Holden, to organize a fundraising event. Do you know how to organize a party? Do you do drag? Want to have a bake sale? Let's do it!

That said, if you feel compelled and you have 1€, it really does help. This is how collective action and mutual care works. This 1€ will come back to you when you need it.