Hi babes, thanks for peeking at my GFM. I've never had to make one before, but it seems to be my turn to fight cancer now, at age 38.

My name is Cooper (they/them), and I'm a trans parent (pun intended), a multi-disciplinary creative, a first-time cancer patient, and BRCA-1 carrier living in the Asheville, NC area. Click here to read more about BRCA mutations that cause breast and ovarian cancer.

I am raising funds to help cover living expenses and medical bills through the process of two different surgeries I'll need in 2023, starting this month. Both of these recovery periods will prevent me (and sometimes my partner Daniel) from working for several months. We are actually already behind on our bills, just from the constant doctor appointments and phone calls forcing me to take time off work almost daily since my abnormal mammogram.

As small web design business owners who do 90% of the work of our business ourselves, we don't make any money if we don't work, so the huge life interruption has presented us with a frightening deficit before surgeries have even begun. The amount we chose for this fundraiser is estimated based on the costs of our family's mortgage, utilities, and groceries, as well as the portion of the mastectomy procedure that my insurance won't cover.

The goal of these surgeries is to survive my current breast cancer diagnosis, and then prevent future occurrences of breast and ovarian cancers that I am extremely vulnerable to. As a carrier of the BRCA-1 gene mutation and the child of a 2-time cancer survivor (whose illnesses have been directly caused by the same gene mutation), removing all of these hormone-producing parts is the only way to guarantee that my 10-year old daughter will have two healthy parents for a long time to come.

To get back to my various care roles more quickly, I'm choosing to skip all reconstructive surgery options and just go flat. I really want to get back to caring for people who need me: my mother through her cancer treatments, my daughter through her tweenagerhood, my clients in their business launches, and my close friend who has a tiny new baby. Your donations can help me get back on my feet sooner, to show up in the ways they all deserve!

Nobody likes asking for financial support for medical expenses, but in the brutal economic situation we have in the USA, it's often a necessary evil. If I have to worry about losing our home or having the electricity cut off, I can't really focus on recovering and getting back to my life.

Daniel, Cora, and I sincerely appreciate anything you're able to offer! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Sincerely,

Cooper

(they/them)