Great news! We have met our goal! Thank you!

Great news! Thanks to three direct (outside of GoFundMe) anonymous donations we have met our target of $10,750. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

In just a few months we have raised enough funds to change Rockie’s life. He is so happy and excited about the path forward. As his guncle (gay uncle), I could not be prouder. Seems we hear of a new anti-Trans bill every day but in the face of hate we have lifted our voices in support of Rockie and Trans people everywhere. Again, thank you!

Surgery is scheduled for June 5th. I will continue to post updates here.

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Thanks for stopping by. My name is Sam. I’m Rockie’s guncle (gay uncle), and I’m sharing his story in the hopes that you can help.

My nephew was born Raquel Samantha Martinez but has always been Rocky to me, which he now spells Rockie. Rockie is 21 years old and kind, thoughtful, creative, joyful, and beautiful inside and out. He lights up the room with the half-smile and mischievous look of the Mona Lisa…a true original.

Rockie is currently taking steps to live as authentically as possible, including by scheduling top surgery for June 2023. And that’s why I’m asking for assistance on his behalf—to help make his top surgery a reality.

Click here to watch a short video from Rockie

I’d like to share a little background with you about who Rockie is and how he got here.

Over the holidays in late 2022, Rockie and I spent a lot of time together, as we often do. This year, though, was different: We spent time discussing his life, struggles, hopes, and dreams. About being trapped in a body that feels foreign and uncomfortable. About his first crush on a girl in kindergarten, wanting to be her boyfriend. About the pain of careless comments made by others time and time again, not knowing about his wanting, his needing, to be a boy.

From childhood to adulthood, the worries grew

As we sat on the floor after half-heartedly working out, he continued. He told me about all the years he spent as a child believing that he could never express out loud that he identified as a boy.

And then puberty arrived like an unwanted storm wreaking havoc, he said, making him feel even more unwelcome in his own body. But he also talked about feeling grateful for the support of his mother (my sister), his brother Niko, and of course his guncle (me). Even with our support, the battle continued—the fear, the doubts. He worried about other family members and friends and how they might react. And he was concerned about upsetting the relationship he had with his girlfriend, who he believed wanted a girlfriend of her own, not the boyfriend Rockie knew he was.

How could he navigate everyone else’s needs and still find his own road?

Having the courage to take big steps

He quietly continued, telling me about the talk therapy he had sought out, the hormone treatments, scheduling upcoming top surgery and a recent move to California—all milestones marked on an old, faded map, carried for a lifetime and guiding him to his authentic new life.

As Rockie was talking, I got emotional thinking about all the work he’s had to do just to be himself. At that point, the only thing I could think to say, the only thing that seemed to matter, was:

How can I help?

The facts, just the facts

Top surgery scheduled for: June 2023

Payment due: May 19, 2023

Cost of surgery and fundraising goal: $10,750

Recovery time: Two weeks

New name: Rockie

Hometown: El Paso and Phoenix

How you can help

Rockie asked me to write this post, and I’m so glad to do so. If you can contribute to help cover the costs of Rockie’s top surgery (no amount is too small), I know for a fact that he’d be enormously grateful. I’ll be contributing as well, but the expense is significant, and we’ll need lots of help to make it happen.

Thank you so much!

Updates

I’ve also volunteered to share regular updates. I’ll post them here.