Becoming My True Self (Alex’s Top Surgery Fund)

Hi everyone!My name is Alex Vera and I am a 19 year old Hispanic, transgender male. I publicly came out on Instagram on July 12, 2017. Everyone online was extremely supportive. Unfortunately, at home, it was not the same. My parents rejected me and threatened to kick me out once I told them about starting hormone replacement therapy.. fast forward to today, and they are a LOT more accepting. They address me with the correct pronouns & name; it makes me so happy!I started taking testosterone on August 29, 2017 and I have now been on Testosterone for 1 year and 4 months. I was working at Big 5’s Sporting Goods (still am) but the hours were very low... so the thought of top surgery didn’t even come to mind.. I’d been wanting to make a Go Fund Me account for my Top Surgery for so long, but refrained from doing so out of fear that others would assume I’m too lazy to make the money myself. Asking for help is scary! I’d applied everywhere I could think of and no luck.. but just 3 weeks ago, I received a call from my local hardware store and I am now working full time. I’m hoping this campaign will help me reach my goal of getting this surgery sooner. All throughout high school, I was uncomfortable with my body and couldn’t figure out why.. now that I look back, it makes sense because that is the time when your body is most developing. My breast got bigger and I hated it. So I began to slouch, leading my posture to develop very poorly. I now have severe back pain and struggle so hard to stand straight. About 5 months into my transition, I discovered “binders” which are commonly used by transgender males or non binary individuals. A binder is used to compress ones chest and give ones chest a more “masculine” (flat) look. I became obsessed! I thought to myself, “Cool!!! It l look normal! Months passed and my back pain and my dysphoria only heightened. I need Top Surgery because my current chest makes me feel depressed and out of place. It affects the way I view myself and it prevents me from doing so many things I’d love to do— go to the beach, swim in a pool, hike.I need it because as each day goes by my back problems and dysphoria increase. Once I get this surgery, I will feel more life my true, authentic self. No more slouching! No more swimming with tank tops on! No more fear of others being able to see my binder when I wear gym gear!I will finally be able to be feel 100% free in my skin.. Please help me by donating. This surgery will give me the body I’ve dreamt of being in since I was 5 years old!If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for clicking this link and for reading. I greatly appreciate it and everyone who donates. Even if you can’t donate, sharing the hell out of this link will mean the world to me! Thank you❤️