Need Help Paying for Trans Girl's Puberty Blocker
Donation protected
My 14-year old daughter, Ren, was born with male genitalia. She asked for the first time if she might really be a girl when she was a toddler, then came out as transgender and socially-transitioned in middle school. She has had a puberty blocker implant for three years (since age 11), which is about how long puberty blockers last. Now her doctor says that Ren's blocker needs to be replaced via a surgical procedure as soon as possible. We had the procedure scheduled, but then the hospital called and told us that with our new insurance (my husband just started a new teaching job in September), our family's out-of-pocket expense will be $4,200 (actually, $6,200, but $2000 is a deductible we should be able to manage). We are both teachers, and our combined income is well below the median income for our state (CT). We had to postpone the surgery until we can come up with the money.
We do not have the $4,200, and due to long-term and repeated job insecurity for my husband over the past several years combined with persistent medical bills (primarily related to gender-affirming treatment for our two transgender children, Ren and her brother, Luca), we declared bankruptcy last winter, and therefore have no credit/credit cards or savings with which to pay this (and in fact, are already struggling to repay $3,000 in debt incurred for uncovered medical care during my husband's last job and our last health insurance plan.)
Ren suffers from extreme anxiety and depression due to gender dysphoria and before getting her first blocker, was unable to function and missed nearly half a year of school as a consequence. As Ren's mother, I know that Ren would not survive the effects of a male puberty. She won't even say "the p-word." A visiting nurse once mentioned Ren's genitalia, and Ren retreated to cower in a corner behind the couch, crying. It is that bad for her. We ask that allies donate if they can to help us pay for Ren's new puberty blocker.
If we do not raise the entire $4200, Ren's surgeon at Yale Hospital has said that she will do the procedure in her office rather than the operating room; however, this is not ideal and rarely done, due to risk of infection and other factors. Ren's doctor is willing to accept lower payment only because of the severity of Ren's immediate need. But we hope we'll raise enough to have the procedure done in the normal way, in the operating room.
We do not have the $4,200, and due to long-term and repeated job insecurity for my husband over the past several years combined with persistent medical bills (primarily related to gender-affirming treatment for our two transgender children, Ren and her brother, Luca), we declared bankruptcy last winter, and therefore have no credit/credit cards or savings with which to pay this (and in fact, are already struggling to repay $3,000 in debt incurred for uncovered medical care during my husband's last job and our last health insurance plan.)
Ren suffers from extreme anxiety and depression due to gender dysphoria and before getting her first blocker, was unable to function and missed nearly half a year of school as a consequence. As Ren's mother, I know that Ren would not survive the effects of a male puberty. She won't even say "the p-word." A visiting nurse once mentioned Ren's genitalia, and Ren retreated to cower in a corner behind the couch, crying. It is that bad for her. We ask that allies donate if they can to help us pay for Ren's new puberty blocker.
If we do not raise the entire $4200, Ren's surgeon at Yale Hospital has said that she will do the procedure in her office rather than the operating room; however, this is not ideal and rarely done, due to risk of infection and other factors. Ren's doctor is willing to accept lower payment only because of the severity of Ren's immediate need. But we hope we'll raise enough to have the procedure done in the normal way, in the operating room.
Organizer
Shelley Stoehr
Organizer
West Haven, CT