My name is Merikk Duhaime (he/him) and I'm a 21 year old transgender man. I started socially transitioning at 14 and was able to finally start taking testosterone in October 2020. I recently came out to my family and feel safe now going forward with the legal part of my transition and top surgery.

 

Unfortunately, transitioning is not affordable. I barely make above starting rate at my job as a barista so that even when I work a lot, there's not a ton of money to set aside for this. I'm planning on getting my name and gender marker legally changed this year. In South Carolina both of those require a court order, money orders made out to family court, and numerous fees associated with the process and documentation I would need to update afterwards.

 

I've been binding my chest since I was 14 to make it appear flat. This affects my breathing capacity and isn't great in the long-term. Top surgery would allow me to have a flat chest safely, and the out of pocket estimate is $5003. I would also need enough money for a week's worth of lodging and food, as well as travel expenses. Having surgery would put me out of work for a minimum of 2 months, so I would need to figure out a way to pay rent during that time as well.

 

Donating to this fundraiser would help me be able to live safely and comfortably as the gender that I am and with the name I go by.