Help Zen Get His Captain America Chest!
Hi, my name is Naomi and I'm fundraising for my best friend of 20 years, Zen.
Zen is a 42 year-old demi-male trans person of color currently seeking top surgery.
For several years, Zen lived with debilitating chronic migraines and frequent asthma hospitalizations that forced him into unemployment, and as a result, he had to use his savings and retirement to stay afloat.
Today, he is working, but his health insurance does not provide surgery coverage.
He lives with his mother, whom he also helps support, and is slowly chipping away at past debt. Affording necessities, such as medication for asthma, migraines, and HRT, is an ongoing challenge. Saving towards surgery has been nearly impossible, as he used the savings he'd accrued last year from his job to help his chronically ill girlfriend with her necessity bills. Zen has a giant heart, and is always eager to help his loved ones however he can, often putting their needs and comfort before his own.
Zen shared his excitement about post-op life: “Not worrying about the surgery funding will help me devote more brain space for writing. I’m eager to share my trans experiences and creative endeavors, such as my poetry.” Zen has been exercising hard and consistently for the past couple of years to maximize the results and hopes for an uncomplicated recovery and pleasing results. “I can’t tell you the sense of excitement and nervousness I have to see my new chest in my gym t-shirts. It’s surreal to think this will be the last horrid summer being bound up in a suffocating binder!”
Zen plans to have surgery with Dr. Daniel Medalie at Cleveland Plastic Surgery in November, and has been awarded an $8000 grant from the Point of Pride organization. He is very grateful for this windfall, but this does not include the cost of facility fees, anesthesia, plastic surgery complications insurance, pathology tests, travel, and hotel accommodations.
Here is the hospital's breakdown of the medical costs:
As you can see, this estimate doesn't cover the pathology charges he will incur post-surgery, plastic surgery complications insurance, or the cost of travel from Indiana to Cleveland and hotel accommodations during his stay.
We are setting the fundraising goal at $2500 to cover the hospital's estimated charges and GoFundMe's processing fees, and any additional funds raised beyond our baseline goal will go towards the additional costs of travel and lodging, pathology tests, plastic surgery complications insurance, and any other unexpected hospital fees that may arise.
Zen has survived a gamut of medical procedures and hospital stays during his life, but this is one hospital visit he is excited to have. Let's help Zen fulfill his dream of having this vital, gender-affirming surgery, and relieve any potential financial stress so it can be a freeing, joyous occasion!
