I Was Approved… Then It Was Taken From Me.

On May 27, 2026, I am scheduled for top surgery.

But this date didn’t come easy.

Last year, I was approved.

I paid my deposit.

I secured short-term disability.

I completed every therapy requirement.

I prepared my body.

I prepared my mind.

I prepared my heart.

And then I was denied.

Due to incorrect medical coding submitted on my case by an in-state surgeon, my insurance rejected the procedure. Two grievances and one civil rights grievance later... everything I had built toward collapsed!

I lost my down payment.

I lost the short-term disability funds I had paid biweekly for a year.

I lost the money spent on countless therapy appointments required for approval.

But what hurt the most wasn’t just financial.

It was having something life affirming within reach… and then watching it be taken away.

As a trans man, this surgery is not cosmetic.

It is not about vanity.

It is about finally feeling at peace in my own body. Its about the times I was told to ignore who I always when I was a young.

Now, I am starting over!

Due to my denial I have to travel to Seattle, WA for surgery with a surgeon that got it done. That means driving there and back alone, covering an Airbnb ($1,076), renting a vehicle (~$800 + gas), paying for food, recovery supplies, and limited nurse care support in Seattle.

I will also be traveling with my senior dog, Titus, because I do not have consistent help to care for him while I’m gone for 9 days.

I tried to carry this alone. I really did.

But between last year’s financial loss and the new travel expenses, I am overextended.

Asking for help is humbling.

I am used to being the strong one.

The dependable one.

The one who figures it out.

But strength also means knowing when to allow community in.

If you donate, you are not just helping fund surgery. You are helping restore something that was unfairly taken from me.

You are helping me step fully into the man I have always known myself to be.

Even sharing this means everything!

Thank you for standing with me.

— Zaire