Mari's Surgery, Medical Bills, and Relocation Fund

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a pretty confident woman, but asking for your help like this makes me nervous and terrified.

Please be kind. It has been a long journey thus far.

• • •

Hello! My name is Mari, and I am turning 30 today: September 8, 2017. Your donation will help me immensely financially and medically, but it will also allow me to focus on my music without having to worry so much about these expenses.

For those who do not already know, allow me to out myself: I am a transgender woman, and I have been "transitioning" for almost ten years. While I generally lead a happy life in my affirmed gender as a woman, I still fight my body on a daily basis. I am more than ready to move on to the next step and alleviate this dilemma.

As of today, I'm going on 11 months without health insurance. I live in a Country that recognizes me as "female" on my passport in a State that recognizes me as "male" on my birth certificate and driver's license, and I continue to have limited access to a legal means by which to progress in my transition. Like many transgender Americans, I fall through the cracks for eligibility and access and have to endure the lack of (surgical) care.  I am not eligible for public health insurance, and I cannot afford the premiums offered in Obamacare plans.

For those who don't understand or who are just now learning, I suffer from gender dysphoria. I would describe this condition as a mentally, emotionally, and physically disruptive divorce between the brain and the body. After years of hormone therapy, my body is fully chemically female, and the severity of my dysphoria has quite diminished. While therapy has affected my sex organs, it will not rectify the structural damage that happened in the midst of fetal development. (All humans are born "female," and from there, there are many possibilities of development and complication, e.g. chromosomal anomalies and  hormonal imbalances, etc.)

That is all to say: I have suffered from "bottom" dysphoria for a very long time. After operation, my body will no longer make inordinate amounts of testosterone, and I will FINALLY be able to live my life without having to fight my own body on a daily basis ❤

I have decided on Dr. Pierre Brassard in Montréal, Québec for my surgeon. As of 2015, he charges $19,300 Canadian, which is currently around $15,400 US. I most likely will not be able to have surgery till 2019 or later, so I am not certain how the exchange rate will fluctuate, and I do not know what he will charge then. Additionally, I am saving up to cover travel expenses. For those unfamiliar with the procedure, practically all of the tissue is repurposed, and all of the nerves are simply rearranged. The only parts that are removed are the superfluous organs.

To those who donate: Thank you for believing that I deserve to be happy! You are saving my life and enriching my future. Any amount is a good amount, but I am encouraged that if all of my Facebook friends contributed $15, I would easily meet my goals! If in the coming years I have an employer that will cover these expenses, or if the US decides to pass universal/single payer healthcare and it is transgender-comprehensive, I will find a way to refund you.

If you are not able or do not want to contribute, thank you for thinking about me.

With all of my love,
Mari