Help Sam Afford Top Surgery!

Hi! My name is Sam, I'm 19 and live in the Southeast Suburbs of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia).

I have decided that it is time for me to finally get these two weights off of my chest (aka: having life-saving top surgery/ a double mastectomy)

When I was young, I always struggled with feeling comfortable in a girls body. I would freak out when I had to wear a dress, refuse to wear handbags, always craved short shaved haircuts and literally always told my friends I would have rather had been born as a boy. It wasn't just a tomboy phase, something was not right and I was different to other kids around me. It wasn't until I was older that I started piecing together why I felt so awful growing into a young woman... it's because I wasn't one. In 2020 I first started experimenting with my gender identity, trying out labels like gender-queer or nonbinary... but they didn't stick. It was in early 2021 that I realised that I was a trans man and came out to the people around me. I am fortunate enough to say that I have legally changed my name/gender, have been on Testosterone (both sustanon and reandradron at different points) for a year and 4 months.

As I came out, my gender dysphoria became debilitating. I fell into deep depressions thinking that I would never be able to change my body and would always suffer with this. Dysphoria sent me into the lowest of lows before I was on T. I was dysphoric over things others wouldn't think of: my eyelashes, my handwritings, my voice, the way I stand, how flat my hair was, how excited I was, how all my friends were girls, how I was so short, my chest, my fat distribution, the way men's clothes didn't sit right on me (and that's just to name a few). I lost a lot of hope during these times and became suicidal. I didn't want to keep going if I had to keep living in this body. While testosterone has helped with that a lot, it hasn't helped with my chest dysphoria. My chest causes me a lot of grief and is something that holds me back daily. I can no longer leave the house without wearing my chest binder. That means that most days I average wearing my binder anywhere from 8-12+ hours. Think about that over a 4 nearly 5 year period... ouch! It has negatively impacted my health so much, I struggle with feeling short of breath all the time and my ribs are constantly sore. I have had to leave functions early (in tears) because I have pushed my body too far and done too much binding affecting my ribs and stomach muscles. I tried taping to help with my ribs but my skin would react to many tape adhesives.

Why now? I am a young lad, so many may think... why now? I am studying to be a barber/hairdresser and spend many days lifting my arms to style/cut/dry hair. I am determined to make a business that helps uplift other trans/gender-diverse/queer folk by providing gender-affirming cuts in a safe space. I LOVE being a trans barber- It gives me so much life and it is my passion. I want to continue to be able to give my everything to making my business and helping others. So, I want this surgery before I leave TAFE as a qualified hair stylist. I feel like I will be able to really give my full self to my passion and others when I have top surgery. I want to be able to confidently start working full time without having to wear my binder for 12+ hours a day (plus getting hairs in there sucks lol).

What will the money be used for?

The money will be used to cover the upfront costs of my top surgery. I have included an approximate breakdown based off of estimates from the team at IRIS Plastic Surgery:

Estimated Costs for patient with PHI: $7000-$8000

That breaks down into

*As I have not yet had initial consultations these are estimates I was provided by IRIS Plastic Surgery and others who have had surgery there. These fees will be paid up front and then Medicare & PHI rebate a portion of that back.

Why I need a hand: I study full time and work part time, but it still isn't enough to be able to afford living expenses and savings. I save as much as I can for this surgery but can't afford to save for all of it amongst paying for TAFE ($620 a month) and other expenses such as REGO/Insurnace/Testosterone & other prescriptions etc. I'm trying to get a scholarship for my hairdressing course next year (as education yanks most of the money out of my bank) but I don't like my chances.

To help raise funds I will be holding an in person fundraising event for my 20th birthday set to be at the end of November (most likely the 30th) where I'll have silent auctions and games as a fun way to raise funds. (More details to come soon!!)

I would be over the moon and beyond grateful if you could contribute towards me being able to afford a surgery that will genuinely change my life. Words can't describe how excited I am to be able to wake up one day and not have to think so hard about what shirt to wear, or fight to get my binder on. I am excited to be closer to feeling confident and comfortable in my own body.

Thank you so much for helping me get closer to my most authentic self <3