Hello!

My name is Samantha. I'm currently an undergraduate college student studying Zoology. I hope to continue my education in grad school and eventually become a professor.

As I grew up, I became increasingly more uncomfortable in my own body. I vividly remember the despair I felt when I hit puberty. My voice became deeper, I grew more body hair, and I felt like I was losing myself to time. I no longer belonged in my own skin. This translated socially as well. I wasn't enough of a guy to be with the guys, but I wasn't a girl either, and I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. As a result, I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere.

Like the child I was when these feelings first arose, I bottled these feelings up, pushing them into a dark corner of my mind that I rarely visited. I commonly reach periods of suicidal ideation due to my internal struggle, despite receiving psychiatric care. The medical treatment for gender dysphoria is transitioning, which is incredibly expensive and vastly undercovered by my insurance.

I come from a low-income background, and as a college student paying for my tuition and fees, I have struggled to save money for transition purposes, aside from restarting my wardrobe from scratch (thank you, thrift stores) and purchasing some beginner makeup. However, for my medical transition, things get much more expensive.

Here are the steps I would take in the near future and their estimated costs:

Thank you to anyone who can help, even just a little bit! It means the world to me. Gender affirming care is truly life-saving healthcare, and every step I've taken on this incredible yet scary journey has made me feel more alive and free. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.