Help Van’s Medical Fundraiser
Donation protected
Hello!
My name is Van, and here is the short story as to why I started this GoFundMe:
I have an appointment for surgery on October 4th, but I was robbed by the AHCA of Florida, who has adopted a new medical rule to eliminate the coverage of gender affirming medical care starting on August 21st, 2022. I have been waiting for over a year for this surgery so…. HELP! Help me still keep my surgery on the calendar. I need the money by September 20th to keep my scheduled October 4th surgery date.
And here is the long story:
I first came out as trans when I was a kid, and then went back into the closet for a multitude of reasons. I had zero intention of coming back out, but then later in life my dysphoria ended up getting so bad that it was basically going to be “do or die” for me if I didn’t come out.
Even without being out, I sought to get top surgery because I am fairly large chested, which has caused me to have some fairly extreme health problems for a person of my age and stature. When I first looked into getting top surgery I was 18 years old.
At the time I was living with my significant other, and had no way out. I was really unhappy, but I was taught and strongly believed that being taken care of by a man was the only way that I survive in life. Eventually I got out, but still sought top surgery.
I was not able to get an appointment to see a doctor to see about getting top surgery until December of 2020. At that point I had been wanting it for years. The doctor’s appointment I went to was basically I complete waste of time as the doctor was extremely rude, and did not seem to actually care. I felt anxious at the idea of letting this doctor operate on me. Because of this I scheduled for another appointment to happen with a completely different doctor located out of Miami, Florida when at the time I was living in Groveland, Florida. It would be a long journey down there, but I thought it was worth it.
So finally, months later I met with this doctor down in Miami and there were SO many issues with her practice. At first she said she would take my health insurance, and then she changed her mind and decided that she wouldn’t after months of telling me that she would if I could complete “x, y, and z”. (Which I did.) Then her scheduler lady was completely out of line to me in some emails that I had received. (Yes, being trans in Florida is hard. I have been harassed a lot.) After this surgeon decided that she wasn’t in the mood to accept my health insurance, she informed me that this surgery would cost $10,000.00. And mind you… her results weren’t even that good. She over charges for bad results.
Later I found out that this surgeon was actually against people with ASD having this surgery because she believes people with ASD “aren’t mentally capable” of making our own decisions. So then I started looking into other surgeons through my health insurance. And around this time I ended up getting a really serious medical illness that made it to where I couldn’t have the surgery, period.
After that I was living in a homeless shelter for a little while.
I desperately needed to find somewhere to go that was safe, and I needed to get my health in check. So I did. And now I’m finally healthy beyond healthy enough for surgery.
But let me tell you… I went to see a doctor here in Gainesville after I moved here to see about getting my surgery, and she said yes! And she seems to be a very nice lady. I will be having surgery 5 minutes up the road from where I live if I can keep my surgery date.
The last time I saw her was April of 2022. And her scheduler (who mind you has harassed at least 2 other trans people to my knowledge) scheduled me 6 months out, despite the fact that I was initially told that I would be scheduled out anywhere from 5 - 14 days after the last consultation I had. So…
I have been waiting. Very patiently waiting.
I have been depressed, and I have genuinely not been okay.
But I’ve been waiting.
I’ve been waiting SO long for this surgery. I’m done. Full on, just done. Back in June of 2022 the AHCA announced that they might ban this surgery, and in August they did. The day after the ban I made this GoFundMe because I am determined to keep my surgery date! I have to pay $7,025 by September 20th, or I am being pulled off the schedule again. And mind you, I have had 5 different top surgery dates in my life time. So… please HELP! Help me keep my top surgery date.
My name is Van, and here is the short story as to why I started this GoFundMe:
I have an appointment for surgery on October 4th, but I was robbed by the AHCA of Florida, who has adopted a new medical rule to eliminate the coverage of gender affirming medical care starting on August 21st, 2022. I have been waiting for over a year for this surgery so…. HELP! Help me still keep my surgery on the calendar. I need the money by September 20th to keep my scheduled October 4th surgery date.
And here is the long story:
I first came out as trans when I was a kid, and then went back into the closet for a multitude of reasons. I had zero intention of coming back out, but then later in life my dysphoria ended up getting so bad that it was basically going to be “do or die” for me if I didn’t come out.
Even without being out, I sought to get top surgery because I am fairly large chested, which has caused me to have some fairly extreme health problems for a person of my age and stature. When I first looked into getting top surgery I was 18 years old.
At the time I was living with my significant other, and had no way out. I was really unhappy, but I was taught and strongly believed that being taken care of by a man was the only way that I survive in life. Eventually I got out, but still sought top surgery.
I was not able to get an appointment to see a doctor to see about getting top surgery until December of 2020. At that point I had been wanting it for years. The doctor’s appointment I went to was basically I complete waste of time as the doctor was extremely rude, and did not seem to actually care. I felt anxious at the idea of letting this doctor operate on me. Because of this I scheduled for another appointment to happen with a completely different doctor located out of Miami, Florida when at the time I was living in Groveland, Florida. It would be a long journey down there, but I thought it was worth it.
So finally, months later I met with this doctor down in Miami and there were SO many issues with her practice. At first she said she would take my health insurance, and then she changed her mind and decided that she wouldn’t after months of telling me that she would if I could complete “x, y, and z”. (Which I did.) Then her scheduler lady was completely out of line to me in some emails that I had received. (Yes, being trans in Florida is hard. I have been harassed a lot.) After this surgeon decided that she wasn’t in the mood to accept my health insurance, she informed me that this surgery would cost $10,000.00. And mind you… her results weren’t even that good. She over charges for bad results.
Later I found out that this surgeon was actually against people with ASD having this surgery because she believes people with ASD “aren’t mentally capable” of making our own decisions. So then I started looking into other surgeons through my health insurance. And around this time I ended up getting a really serious medical illness that made it to where I couldn’t have the surgery, period.
After that I was living in a homeless shelter for a little while.
I desperately needed to find somewhere to go that was safe, and I needed to get my health in check. So I did. And now I’m finally healthy beyond healthy enough for surgery.
But let me tell you… I went to see a doctor here in Gainesville after I moved here to see about getting my surgery, and she said yes! And she seems to be a very nice lady. I will be having surgery 5 minutes up the road from where I live if I can keep my surgery date.
The last time I saw her was April of 2022. And her scheduler (who mind you has harassed at least 2 other trans people to my knowledge) scheduled me 6 months out, despite the fact that I was initially told that I would be scheduled out anywhere from 5 - 14 days after the last consultation I had. So…
I have been waiting. Very patiently waiting.
I have been depressed, and I have genuinely not been okay.
But I’ve been waiting.
I’ve been waiting SO long for this surgery. I’m done. Full on, just done. Back in June of 2022 the AHCA announced that they might ban this surgery, and in August they did. The day after the ban I made this GoFundMe because I am determined to keep my surgery date! I have to pay $7,025 by September 20th, or I am being pulled off the schedule again. And mind you, I have had 5 different top surgery dates in my life time. So… please HELP! Help me keep my top surgery date.
Fundraising team: Team fundraiser (2)
Vanzé Harmes
Organizer
Gainesville, FL
Stephany Mahaffey
Team member