Xeno's Top Surgery Fund

Hey!! I am Xeno Rafaél, transgender artist and queer parent to two amazing kiddos! I am currently based in Berlin, Germany and some of you might already know me from community events and nightlife. I am a DJ, producer, collaborator, organizer, and performer. I have decided to start this campaign to fundraise for my top surgery! (double mastectomy) 

Dealing with the anxiety of gender dysphoria and how that impacts my life, my mental health due to my chest causes me great distress daily. It has kept me from being able to feel comfortable in my body and has inhibited my ability to feel as close to free in my identity as I should feel. I've recently started testosterone and having this surgery would be immensely positive for me. Top surgery is the next step in the journey of my transition. 

Having this surgery would make a huge impact on my quality of life in a positive way.  For those of you who know me well, you may know that one of the daily struggles I face along with gender dysphoria is being in chronic pain due to my ongoing health issues living as a physically disabled person with AS, a type of seronegative spondyloarthropathy. The disease affects my spine, ribs, pelvis, hips, knees, and shoulders - mostly all of my larger joints - as well as other organs, including the eyes, lungs, and colon (ulcerative colitis).  The disease is progressive and incurable, eventually leading to further disability and loss of mobility over time and over the last 5 years binding my chest and wearing x-small sports bras have become unbearable due to costochondritis, as well as extremely unsafe for someone with added health issues like myself, even if I bind safely. I have a larger chest and I am no longer able to bind safely at this point. I have multiple joint ossifications and enthesitis and chronic inflammation of my spine, sacroiliac joints, and rib cage that causes me excruciating pain daily and it's literally impossible to bind from now on.  Having this surgery will greatly reduce the amount of distress and pain I experience daily.

Moving forward with fundraising on this platform to pay for my surgery is my only option at this point. I have not been in a position to afford it before due to many factors: not having insurance/ not having insurance that covers trans-related healthcare, working paycheck to paycheck and being unable to save money, having to prioritize other expenses related to my family over my healthcare. I work full time but I’m still grossly underpaid as an artist and freelancer. And as a result, I’m barely able to keep my head above water most of the time financially. As a person living with a chronic illness, I often have to pay out of pocket for expensive one times procedures and medications. I had hoped to have my surgery two years ago but I wasn’t able to because I was undergoing chemotherapy and biologic therapy at the time. While I have been patient with myself and with my situation I am finally ready to begin this journey and have top surgery. I have already begun testosterone therapy and I have found an amazing surgeon in Hamburg, Germany with trusted postoperative results that I feel confident about. 

Fundraising through community would help balance out the financial burden and pressure. With donations, I can pay up front and out-of-pocket costs at once giving me the chance to be able to have this life-changing surgery. Which I may otherwise not be able to given my circumstances. Any amount small or large would be greatly appreciated. I understand not everyone is in the position to give a donation. I am super grateful for folks to take the time to give and share my fundraiser widely, all support and generosity means the world to me :) 

As a queer parent who has struggled financially living paycheck to paycheck, asking for help let alone money is extremely hard and I know that there are folks who are in the same boat as me and I don’t expect those folks to feel like they have to give support if they cannot. Thank you for your support! Sharing is also a form of giving, I am so so grateful for your time and attention <3 THANK YOU ENDLESSLY <3

Your donations will go directly towards the following: 

Out-of-pocket surgery costs 
Surgical consultations & medical tests 
Childcare for two weeks after surgery 


XOXO 

XENO