I am a transgender woman and a single mom, trying to raise enough money so I can afford surgery and still support my family.

The process involves several steps, each with its own expense, and months of recovery when I won't be able to work. I need funds to afford procedures, as well as ordinary living expenses during recovery.

First, I need to manage hair removal before my surgeons will even schedule a consult. Hopefully I can manage this with laser for $2-5k, the other option of electrolysis can be more than $20-30k. This part of the process could take several months to a year or more, and insurance is supposed to cover this cost, but doesn't.

The next part of the process involves appointments with the surgery team for consultation and scheduling, and if everything seems to be in order, I can proceed to the actual surgery. This should take a few months or more to find space in the schedule for me, and insurance should actually cover this cost.

After consults and surgery comes a long period of 1-6 months of recovery during which it might be difficult to move around or do any kind of work. This means I'll need to find a way to afford rent + utilities ($2k/month), food (approx $200/month), and find any help I need managing child care. Insurance won't help with this.