Hello, my name is Ize. I live in NYC and work as an artist, an organizer, and a helping hand to many. I am also a trans non-binary person, and for the last several years, I have been working to create enough stability in my life for top surgery to be a real possibility for me.

As much as I have tried to show up in the world the way I would like to, the persistent fog of not being at home in my body has been ever present in how I move through life. It affects how I am able to show up for my community and myself, and is a constant obstacle in creating a future where I am thriving.

This surgery is a necessary step to move towards a future where I can participate in life more comfortably in myself and my body, and with more energy to contribute to my community and surroundings.

The possibility of pursuing this new chapter of my life is almost within my grasp. I have been so lucky to be connected to a kind and reputable surgeon, and I am scheduled to undergo surgery with her at the end of this upcoming September. It has taken so much work to reach this moment of actualizing the surgery, and it’s unfortunately come at a time when transphobic policy changes are making the procedure increasingly inaccessible. A significant portion of the surgery will no longer be covered by my insurance, and the impending risk of Medicaid cuts could rescind the coverage I do have in this moment.

After several years of housing and labor insecurity, I am finally in a place where undergoing major surgery feels like a realistic option. However, these struggles have impacted my ability to financially prepare, and the cost of the surgery far exceeds what I had initially anticipated. It feels necessary to press forward with the surgery both for my well-being and accessibility reasons, and I am in need of community support to finance the procedure and carry me through the recovery period. Of the $10,000 I need to raise, $8000 will go towards the cost of surgery not covered by insurance, and $2000 will go towards the costs of recovery, including lost wages from taking 3-4 weeks off of work, post-op care, transportation, and recovery supplies.

If contributing financially isn’t feasible for you, your support could also be felt by sharing the fundraiser often, and especially sharing it directly with people who may be able to help! Words of support appreciated as well <3

Thank you so much for reading this far, I am infinitely grateful.

Some of my loved ones wanted to share a bit about me as a person:

“Ize and I have been part of each other's lives for a few years now. They’re somebody who I admire deeply, and who, in a lot of ways, I try to emulate. One of the most special parts of sharing a life together is seeing how our people have come to interweave. Because Ize doesn't just meet people, they greet them with genuine curiosity and without any hang ups or assumptions (which feels really rare in this world). Sometimes it can feel quite piercing, to feel their eyes burn through the walls I put up, and even in those moments where I feel bare, they're able to be gentle and attentive to my nervousness. That's how it feels to be seen by them, and I am so thankful for it. I feel so much closer to being how I want to be in this world because of them, and I hope that this fundraiser can bring them closer to feeling that way too.”

--Calafia

"If you know Ize, you know their heart—how fiercely loyal, generous, and kind they are. Ize shows me and others in their life what it means to move through the world as their full self with compassion and gentleness. Time and again, Ize has shown up—fully, generously, without question—for the people they love. Now, as Ize is about to take this meaningful step toward living more fully in themself, it's our turn to show up for them. This surgery is a step toward the wholeness they deserve, a celebration of the beautiful person they've always been. Let's surround Ize with that same love and support!"

--Danté

“I have known Ize for a couple years now, and they are one of my dearest friends. I don’t know if they remember our first “meeting” the way I do. I was exiting the train station at Wilson avenue as they were entering. Perhaps the fact of me remembering this encounter out of thousands of anonymous crossing of paths can shed some light on how special Ize is, how special they are to me. The way I remember their brief gaze: gentle, curious, absorbing, and kind. As I have gotten to know them over the years, as we have gotten closer, from strangers to friends, from familiar to familial, it seems I have only scratched the surface of their seemingly boundless curiosity for the world and their endless love for the people around them and the broader community to which they belong. They are one of the people I cherish and treasure most in my life, someone I am so immensely grateful to have met, to still be in the process of meeting. If there was such a thing as a soul, then theirs is one of the most extraordinary, and one deserving of being fully realized in every way possible. We are all so fortunate to have Ize in our lives and in this world, and I hope that, together, we can be a wellspring of support and care and love for them in this moment when they need it most.”

—Oliver