Kaitlen's next step

Kaitlen's family is working together to help her get Gender Confirmation Surgery (Sexual Reassignment Surgery) and while there is so much that we can do ourselves, there is so much help and support that we need from our community.  The next big step in the process is a $1,000 deposit with the surgery center, which we need before the end of August and  $500 worth of investment in legal name change and documents before kaitlen gets her driver's license and passport this summer, and $1,500 in necessary hair removal which is a prerequisite before the procedure.  Kaitlen is a fantastic, creative and introverted kid who has grown up to be a thoughtful and resilient teenager with support from her friends, parents and other relatives. She's an avid video-gamer, music -lover, and animal enthusiast who treats her world with care.  Kaitlen has been fortunate to have an unusually large number of loving parents, step-parents and such, but this time of Covid and quarantine has left mom in a reduced work situation, step-dad out of work due to his career in the hospitality and service industry, and father laid off at the end of April due to business loss from the pandemic. 


Here is Kaitlen's statement ;

When I was a young child I didn’t have the words to describe how I felt. When people called me a boy it didn’t feel right. My name didn’t feel right. When I was 13 I waited till my mom was asleep and changed the wallpaper on her phone to say “I am transgender” I also put a post-it note on her phone that said “it’s true” so she would know it was real. This was one of the first times I was able to find the words to express my true self to anyone. Since then I have been on a journey toward fully becoming my true self. Initially, I went by gender-neutral pronouns. At 15 I changed my name to Kaitlen. Since then I have gone through hormone replacement therapy and have become an adult woman. I just had my 18th birthday! I have more I would like to accomplish on my journey. First on the agenda is to change my name and gender marker legally. Then I would like to have gender-affirming surgery and the necessary hair removal before that can happen. I have done a lot of research and have found a fantastic surgeon, who of course, has a long waiting list. I have been saving my money and have almost enough for the down payment to get on that list. I still need the funds to change my name and for whatever my insurance does not cover for the surgery and for the hair removal that is not covered by insurance. My parents have been very supportive and love me for who I am and I know that makes me lucky. I would like to thank everyone who has donated so far and to those who are considering donating now So I can get closer to feeling like who I really am.