My name is Ray, and I am an 18 year old college student from Ohio. I’ve been out as a transgender man since I was 14, and the only thing that kept me going during middle and high school was the knowledge that once I turned 18, I would be able to receive gender-affirming care. I have since started testosterone, and in order to get top surgery, the last thing I want to do medically in my journey, you have to have a letter of recommendation from a healthcare professional. In order for this letter to be credible and valid, care must be established with a therapist who will then write the letter. These therapy appointments cost $315 per visit, and I will have to go to at least 6 of these, at minimum. After these appointments, I will have to pay around $8000 for the actual top surgery. I will not even be considered for top surgery if I do not have a letter of recommendation. As a college student, I can’t afford this, but I also can’t afford mentally to live with the dysphoria I feel every day. I’ve been binding my chest every single day since I came out, which takes a toll on me physically, as someone with chronic pain and scoliosis. I need help to pay for my medical care and to improve my quality of life. Any funds collected from this will be put directly to paying my medical bills so that I can continue to receive care. Thank you so much for reading.