Kai's Surgery Fund! (Transition)
Donation protected
As some of you know, my wonderful partner Kai came out as transgender recently, and after visiting with healthcare professionals, was formally diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Shortly after this, conversation turned towards his wish to medically transition.
Transitioning is different for everyone, but it’s important that transgender people take the necessary medicals steps to feel confident and comfortable in themselves, mentally and physically.
For Kai, transitioning while he is still in college, is ideal. His voice teacher can help coach him through the vocal transition, he can then tackle male roles in school and he can start changing his repertoire/resume now so he can leave the program prepared to enter his field as a professional.
With or without insurance, sex reassignment surgeries and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are not cheap. And before he could even decide to proceed with any varying degree of gender confirmation surgery, transgender people are required to receive two separate notes from a psychiatrist and a therapist, documenting the visits and confirming their desire to transition. With average costs from $80 for a therapist and $200 to $375+ for a psychiatrist without insurance, bi-weekly or even monthly appointments can quickly add up.
Acquiring HRT without insurance, transgender men can expect to pay anywhere between $40 - $500 per month. (And since hormones are necessary for the body to function, this is a cost that most transgender people can expect to pay for the rest of their lives.)
And all this is before any thought of surgery funding. But as a transgender man who has gone through this process, I fully understand how important and life-saving it can be. I know that is it worth it.
Watching Kai struggle through this process of self discovery has been full of joy and hurt. I honestly cannot express how scary or exciting it is to finally realize who you are after years of never quite fitting into the big puzzle of life.
The high statistics of transgender individuals who become depressed, self-harm or attempt suicide, speak volumes about the road we walk. In a recent study, 78% of trans people said they had thought about ending their life, and 40% had attempted it. [1] Often, the best intervention is being allowed to socially and medically transition.
Taking a serious look at our financial situation is quick and painful; we are two college students. Although we are both employed, our jobs hardly cover every day living expenses. There is no way that we can afford this without help. And while of course we hope and pray that Kai's parents will eventually understand how important this is to their child's quality of life, career, mental health and happiness, the hospital charges will not wait to find out and no help is currently forthcoming.
Kai is amazing. Kai is kind, funny and most importantly, he finally has the chance to be himself!
He deserves to live life without feeling the weight of the world entirely on his shoulders.
The funds received here will go directly towards the current cost of Kai's visits with endocrinology, his psychiatrist and therapist. Anything helps! (If you wish to help out another way, or want more information, feel free to send either of us a facebook message/text.)
Thank you all so much!
- Achilles
Transitioning is different for everyone, but it’s important that transgender people take the necessary medicals steps to feel confident and comfortable in themselves, mentally and physically.
For Kai, transitioning while he is still in college, is ideal. His voice teacher can help coach him through the vocal transition, he can then tackle male roles in school and he can start changing his repertoire/resume now so he can leave the program prepared to enter his field as a professional.
With or without insurance, sex reassignment surgeries and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are not cheap. And before he could even decide to proceed with any varying degree of gender confirmation surgery, transgender people are required to receive two separate notes from a psychiatrist and a therapist, documenting the visits and confirming their desire to transition. With average costs from $80 for a therapist and $200 to $375+ for a psychiatrist without insurance, bi-weekly or even monthly appointments can quickly add up.
Acquiring HRT without insurance, transgender men can expect to pay anywhere between $40 - $500 per month. (And since hormones are necessary for the body to function, this is a cost that most transgender people can expect to pay for the rest of their lives.)
And all this is before any thought of surgery funding. But as a transgender man who has gone through this process, I fully understand how important and life-saving it can be. I know that is it worth it.
Watching Kai struggle through this process of self discovery has been full of joy and hurt. I honestly cannot express how scary or exciting it is to finally realize who you are after years of never quite fitting into the big puzzle of life.
The high statistics of transgender individuals who become depressed, self-harm or attempt suicide, speak volumes about the road we walk. In a recent study, 78% of trans people said they had thought about ending their life, and 40% had attempted it. [1] Often, the best intervention is being allowed to socially and medically transition.
Taking a serious look at our financial situation is quick and painful; we are two college students. Although we are both employed, our jobs hardly cover every day living expenses. There is no way that we can afford this without help. And while of course we hope and pray that Kai's parents will eventually understand how important this is to their child's quality of life, career, mental health and happiness, the hospital charges will not wait to find out and no help is currently forthcoming.
Kai is amazing. Kai is kind, funny and most importantly, he finally has the chance to be himself!
He deserves to live life without feeling the weight of the world entirely on his shoulders.
The funds received here will go directly towards the current cost of Kai's visits with endocrinology, his psychiatrist and therapist. Anything helps! (If you wish to help out another way, or want more information, feel free to send either of us a facebook message/text.)
Thank you all so much!
- Achilles
Organizer and beneficiary
Achilles Mulkey
Organizer
La Crosse, WI
Kai Alexander Judd
Beneficiary
