Josie Church

I’m a trans woman and military veteran (VFW member) who has been struggling with heavy gender dysphoria since 2021. Asking for help is so so hard for me. I feel bad asking. Maybe I’m starting to get desperate.  I just want relief from the tears in the mirror.  I am finally being scheduled for the surgeries I need. Currently going through a divorce, the costs for my medical care bring a financial burden that stymies the progress of my transition and lowering near debilitating dysphoria that affects me in daily life. I have already received two facial feminization surgeries (FFS) that I have already paid for, so I am trying my best to pay for myself. But it is putting me in financial hardship. It’s not just surgery costs, it’s:  • Surgery costs AND…  • Travel & hotels  • Lost work time(for post-operation recoveries)  • Electrolysis (for permanent facial hair removal)  • Child care  • Insurance approving some surgeries only as out-of-network.  (There appears to be a shortage of in-network surgeons with specialized experience in surgical transgender anatomical change procedures, where the anatomy, bone density & structure, and fat distributions are altered from one gender frame to another. It is very different than the more common surgeries for cis gender people where the gender anatomy stays general the same). Travel/Hotels: Some surgeries require you to stay at a hotel near the hospital for 1-5 days depending on which surgery (for post-operation complications, surgical relief drainages, etc.) Lost work time: I don’t receive pay while off work to recover and get behind paying bills.  I’m currently scheduled for top surgery and feminizing body contouring. I will likely need a third facial surgery to complete the facial feminization changes.These surgeries will help me feel safe/comfortable in daily life so people leave me alone and let me live my life authentically as myself, such as taking my 3 kids to the pool and enjoy my time with them instead of being lost in anxiety being stared at. My kids tell me they miss me as dad but like me better as mum because I’m getting happier and more fun. I need these surgeries not only for dysphoria, but also for my safety, because of the targeting of trans women. And I want these tears in the mirror to stop. It’s slowly getting better after each surgery, but it’s still present. I understand it might not be believable that this is a need, but it is.  Any amount helps, thank you So So So SOOOO MUCH for supporting me!!! You are amazing and generous and I thank you a thousand times over!!! ❤️