Howdy! I’m Oliver, though you may know me as Ollie :)

I’ve been out as a trans man for over 10 years. I wear a lot of hats - father, friend, volunteer, artist, dog person…. and more. I’ve had a long and complicated journey the past 10 years while I discovered who Oliver is.

It all starts with severe anxiety and depression mostly stemming from my gender dysphoria. In fact — the same year I came out, I self-harmed frequently and attempted suicide. Next, a life-changing accident when I was hit by a car crossing the street….the birth of my first child… all of these events occurring within a few years of each other made for some stressful teenage years. After years of therapy and being on testosterone, I’ve managed to turn my self-hatred into self-love.

That being said, I still struggle with chest dysphoria quite a bit! It significantly limits my ability to be in public comfortably, go to the pool with my friends, and even look in the mirror on harder days. The cover photo you see is one of my first times wearing a swim binder to the beach, and while I was extremely happy in this moment, even binding has its limits. This surgery would significantly increase my comfort in my own body and quality of life.

Luckily, I was approved for top surgery through my insurance and it is scheduled for November 11th! YAY!

Which brings us to why I’ve started this GFM — I’m looking to cover my lost wages from being out of work as well as our increased food expenses. Due to other health issues, I was denied short-term disability coverage, and I do not have enough PTO to fully cover the time I will miss work.

If you know me, you also know that I struggle asking for help. I’ve already rewritten nearly each sentence in this post. I know everyone is struggling right now, which is why I’m only asking for what I need.

If you cannot contribute, I completely understand and thank you for taking the time to read my story. Very soon after this post is made, I will be working on releasing a few sticker/T-shirt designs to sell on Redbubble, as well as setting up a Meal Train for my recovery days. Once that’s done, I will be sharing updates!

Please feel free to reach out if you know me personally, even if you’d just like to discuss my surgery and/or find other ways to help. I’m so excited for the new opportunities and literal weight off of my chest that this surgery will provide.

Thank you all so much,

Oliver