Karo's Top Surgery

Karo is a non-binary PhD student at University of California, Davis studying plant biology who has been disenfranchised by the medical system. Following exhaustive amounts of paperwork, appointments, and emotionally tenuous explanations validating their identity to medical professionals, they finally set a date for top surgery for June 21st, 2019, nearly a year in advance. This date is important, as Karo can’t take any other time off from teaching or research.

Now, institutional barriers have uprooted the surgery that had seemingly become possible. Karo's top surgeon moved offices, now becoming "out of network" for their insurance coverage, meaning the full price of $6000 will have to be paid out of pocket. 

One possible option for reducing the price is if the surgeon can establish an agreement with Anthem Blue Cross within the next 2 months to reduce the price to $3100, which is still too much for an impoverished student to cover. 

Now, after a year of planning and scheduling, Karo's top surgery could be cancelled just as it is within reach. 

Karo is a loving and kind-hearted soul who has experienced on numerous occasions the ostracization and interpersonal violence of being queer and trans. Their conservative family is not a means of support, and in fact would lash out against them if they found out about the surgery. Any support from the greater community would be appreciated, as time is running out. 

Much love.