Support Mae's Surgical Transition

Hi! My name is Mae, I'm a 25 year old trans woman living in Pittsburgh, PA. I'd like to humbly ask for your help, if you would buckle in for a few minutes.

I've been transitioning MtF since I was 20 years old, living independently away from my parents since then. For a variety of reasons, I couldn't rely on them to help me live my life, so I knuckled down, got lucky, and made a life for myself without any of their support. Now, five years later, I've happier than I've ever been. I'm living in a queer city among queer people I love, and through much effort I have built a beautiful and wonderful life of my own.

I'm astonishingly lucky. I know a lot of my peers in similar situations don't make it out as well as I have, and I feel reticent to ask for help with that understanding. But, we live in a world that makes trans healthcare inaccessible and expensive, and to progress further I need to ask my community for a little help.

Transitioning saved my life, but as far as I've come, there's some next steps that are prohibitively expensive. Particularly, surgical steps.

Given the current political climate, I'm moving as fast as I can to get a full bottom surgery by a qualified and reputable clinic. I've got my consultation lined up, and have started electrolysis prep to get where I need to be asap.

My insurance will not cover the surgical procedure pre-auth, meaning that I have to pay out of pocket up front to complete the procedure. There is a chance I may get some money back from insurance, but there's no guarantee, and the clock is running out on societal acceptance of transition. By the time my surgery is scheduled and performed there's no telling what I'll be able to get back from them.

So, I'm assuming everything will have to be paid with credit cards and medical loans. The estimate I've gotten pre-consultation is in the $30k chunk of change range, which, is a lot for a girl in her 20s with no family support.

Again, I'd like to emphasize that I'm doing fairly well, and in a better position than a lot of trans women my age. That said, your help would be extraordinary, greatly appreciated, and would go to drastically increase my quality of life.

Thank you!