Hey everyone!

For those who don't know me, I’m Kendall (they/them) — and I'm so excited (and a little nervous!) to share that I'm having top surgery on April 22nd, a gender-affirming procedure that I've been waiting and hoping for almost my entire life. This is me finally taking the leap, and I'm asking my community to help me land.

For as long as I can remember, I've known who I am. My mom has a story about 2-year-old me marching up to her and declaring, very seriously, that I did not want to have boobies. She thought it was funny then. Now we both know I was just being honest. I've always known. It just took time to find the path to get here.

Living in a body that didn't reflect that truth was something I carried quietly for a long time , but stepping into my authentic self has been one of the greatest gifts of my life and has changed everything for me. I've found community, confidence, and a kind of peace I didn't know was possible.

Top surgery is the next step. It's not just a medical procedure to me — it's waking up every morning and feeling at home in my own skin. It's freedom. And after almost 30 years of wanting this, it’s finally happening!

So, Where Does Your Money Go? Great question!

My insurance has agreed to cover a portion of my surgery (thank goodness), but I’m still going to be $5,000 in the hole for the surgery itself. On top of that, I’ll be out of work for a month recovering, and will need to buy lots of different kinds of things that insurance doesn’t cover like numbing cream, compression garments, surgical recovery pillows, pain medication, and more.

All said and done, I’m asking for $5500 to help me offset the costs, with the biggest need being help with funding the surgery itself.

----

This isn’t an easy time for me to ask for help. I know so many of us are stretched thin — navigating a world that feels increasingly unsafe and violent for trans people in America and all over the globe. We are all being made to feel more and more terrified every day as we become increasingly targeted just for being who we are.

But, community has always been how we take care of each other when systems fall short. And that's exactly what I'm leaning on now. I don't take lightly what it means to ask — and I don't take for granted what it means when someone shows up.

I mean this from the bottom of my heart: any amount helps. Even $1 makes a real difference. And if money is tight right now — I completely understand, truly — please consider sharing this page with a friend, a family member, or even a coworker! The more this spreads, the more those small contributions add up to something big.

Thank you for donating, for sharing, or even just for reading this far. It means more than I can say. You're not just helping fund a surgery — you're helping me become the fullest, most joyful version of myself. In turn, this will allow me to show up to support others like me, and unlike me, who are needing community too.

With so much love and gratitude,

Kendall