Support Cris’s Essential Spine Surgery and Post-Surgery Care

Cris is a 28-year old trans artist and organizer who has been navigating debilitating neck pain, discomfort, and increasing mobility limitations for the past five years. At 23, they started dealing with increasingly severe headaches, migraines, and neck pains that are made worse by sitting or looking down, which prevents them from working most jobs. This got worse to the point of numbness and pain radiating down their arms, compounded by an auto-inflammatory condition and tendonitis. They have been unable to undergo physical therapy for their auto-inflammatory condition and tendonitis because the therapy demands a level of mobility made impossible by their neck pain.

They received a diagnosis of two herniated discs in their neck. After struggling to provide for themself for 5 years, they are finally scheduled for treatment, a Double Artificial Disc Replacement scheduled for this fall 2024. The discs are so damaged that they cannot be repaired by other surgeries.

They are living in a Catch-22 where their mobility limits the ability to repetitively look down, raise their arms or bend their elbows beyond a certain point, making their day to day life feel very limited. They are excited to have an easier time with one of these compounding disabilities removed.

Cris hopes that this surgery will allow them to do things they miss like, “Drive to the beach, go to school, make wheel-thrown ceramics, do yoga, use a sewing machine, and sleep on their side.”

Insurance will cover the procedure but they need to fund living costs for the 1.5 - 2 month recovery period.

Expenses by Category:

*Anything over 2k will be put towards Cris's cost of living post-recovery and in pursuit of secondary education. Cris would like to get their phlebotomy cert or acreditation in early childhood education.