Support Avery's Medical Transition

Hi! For those who don't know me, my name is Avery and I'm a 26 year old, trans, non-binary, neurodivergent, queer person living in Phoenix. I work full-time as an IT engineer. When I'm not working, I'm often spending time among community, including reading at queer poetry events and volunteering for a local non-profit that provides essential services to underprivileged LGBTQIA+ youth.

I began my medical transition in August 2023 after nearly a year of identity-focused therapy. Early in my transition, I didn’t think I would ever pursue any gender-affirming surgeries, but as I've lived as my authentic self, I've realized that I struggle with a significant amount of genital dysphoria. After months of research and several conversations with my therapists and close friends, I’ve decided to pursue bottom surgery. I truly believe this is the final step in my medical transition to fully align my body with my internal sense of self.

Transitioning has been the greatest joy of my life, but it hasn't been without its challenges. In May 2023, my long-term girlfriend left me after she invaded my privacy and found out I was questioning my gender. I'm also no-contact with all of my immediate family and haven't had much familial support for my transition. Thankfully, I have health insurance and short-term disability coverage through my employer, but I do live paycheck to paycheck and will require assistance from my community to make this happen.

I attended a surgical consultation in August and am currently working on obtaining letters from my medical providers to secure a surgery date (hopefully by end-of-year). This fundraiser is intended to help cover costs associated with the procedure, including:

My insurance will cover most of the cost of the surgery, but I will need to contribute somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000 to reach my out-of-pocket maximum. My health insurance also won't cover travel/housing costs and might not fully cover electrolysis, which is required prior to the operation.

All funds contributed toward my procedure will immediately go into a dedicated savings account until they are needed for a surgery-related expense. I deposited $1,500 after opening the account and will continue to make contributions as I can afford to. Any remaining funds will be donated to one•n•ten.

Even if you can't contribute financially, I really appreciate that you've read this far. I’ve always struggled with asking for help (especially financially), but I know I am deeply loved and shouldn't feel ashamed to lean on my community.

–Avery ❤️