Jules' gender affirming surgery

Hi friends and folks far and wide,

Some of you already know that I began my medical transition last year. At 42, this has been a long time coming, and I feel incredibly grateful—especially in these times of trans-national fear—that the process to begin and access the care I need was relatively straightforward for me here in Victoria, Australia.

My testosterone hormone therapy is kicking in nicely, and from the beginning it felt like a light had gone on inside of me, just days in an indescribable ease settled in me. 6 months in I am noticing the first signs of increased hair growth and it makes my heart sing.

I’ve found a wonderful surgeon I trust, and I had a financial plan in place. Unfortunately, I’m not meeting my savings goals so far, so I’m doing the hard thing and reaching out for help.

Included below are ways to contribute, both financially and alternatives:

The costs for gender-affirming surgery in Australia are significant, and while some aspects have been covered by Medicare, many expenses—including specialist surgeon and appointments, post-surgical care—are not fully reimbursed. Then there is recovery time.

I know times are tough (eggs were $15 at the supermarket this morning!), and I don’t want anyone who’s already struggling to feel burdened by my request. But if you have the means and feel moved to support me, I am deeply grateful for every cent and every share.

If you can't contribute financially, I'm planning to put a fundraising clothes sale event! I'm behind on organising this too, it doesn't sit nicely in my skills wheelhouse, so if you have leads for pop-up venues, promotional ideas, or any other expertise to lend, let me know! If you have great clothes to donate, let me know that too!

I haven't got a figure for exactly how much I need, but I'll pop a breakdown on knowns below. I am, of course, saving too, so the total does not reflect the total I'm short, and I am not relying upon this fundraiser to cover all costs. But I also don't know how long my recovery will be, as this varies from person to person, and I have to focus on being available to my family again first, and allocating resources on from there as they become available to me.

If the fundraiser happens to raise funds in excess of my needs (considering my own resources), I will ensure these are donated to trans supportive charities in Australia and / or overseas. At this stage my preference is for 'project 491' which was launched recently in response to QLD's decision to pause gender affirming healthcare to under 18s leaving 491 teenagers unable to access the care they need without paying privately. See https://auspath.org.au/project-491/

I'm happy to provide transparency around this should anyone wish it, and I will provide details to all who donate.

With love,

Jules

With 6 weeks off to recover:

Surgeon fees 1 - $7840 (with insurance)

Surgeon fees 2 - about $600

Hospital fees - $2700

Family / household expenses (weekly $300 to joint account) - $1800

Rent - $3150

Personal / business subscriptions - $300

Total = $16,290