Devi's Top Surgery

**Fundraiser Update!** -- January 16th 2024

Thank you to everyone who has donated! I'm now using the rest of this toward an unexpected vehicle repair expense, as my dad's essential van has gone out and needs a slew of repairs to keep it running. We're pooling all our resources but the amount is jaw-dropping. We NEED this van fixed otherwise my partner and I will be in a position where we need to drive him 5-6 days a week and with our work schedules, we will get only about 3-4 hours of sleep per night due to how early he leaves for work, on top of picking him up. That's almost 2 hours of driving per day. Please help spread this and help us get this paid off. I'm including the essential estimates they sent us in detail below in the updates section. I'm really sorry I'm still pushing for help with money but times are very difficult and I'm just trying to survive and keep my sanity along with my family. My wife's family is seeing if they can help but we need to figure this out by Friday, January 19th 2024.

**Surgery Update!** -- November 20th 2023

As of November 17th I've gotten my top surgery and I'm in the recovery process while awaiting the final bill to be able to sign up for a payment plan. It's a lot mentally and emotionally and I still have a long way to go. I'm going to keep this fundraiser open to hopefully help reach the entire amount of $7,200 to be able to pay off the surgery in full. To everyone who helped, THANK YOU!!! To everyone who shared, THANK YOU!!! To everyone who considers still sharing or donating, Thank you so much. You guys made this happen for me, I couldn't have done any of this without you!!!

**Yet another update, please read!!** -- November 7th 2023

It's been a moment, but I'm happy to say my surgery was APPROVED! This is really happening!!

I'm only $1,908 away, please help me raise the rest, shar everywhere you can!

**Another update, please read!!** -- October 21st 2023

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your support in helping me to get my first goal achieved!

I am raising the goal as my insurance has informed me that my surgery total will cost about $7,200 and that's not counting the insurance premium payments for a couple months, as well as supplies for my recovery. It's sadly a very long list of things I'll need but I feel hopeful. Please continue to share, and donate if you can. You're all changing my life and saving my sanity. Thank you.

**Update!!! Please read!** -- October 15th 2023

Thank you so, SO much to everyone who donated. My initial goal has been reached! I have some additional information regarding my fundraiser below.

I'm going to keep it open for a couple of reason. Originally, I was going to sign up for an HMO Gold plan through BCBS, and instead ended up going with the Preferred HMO Silver after talking to an insurance broker from the marketplace at length on how costs would turn out between the two plans.

Overall, the total of my surgery if approved through BCBS will be about $7,200 due to the out of pocket max with silver, as opposed to the $9,000 with gold. She assured me that if I went with gold, I would be paying the full $9,000.

I may be eligible for a payment plan for the surgery costs but with what I have raised so far, if this is true and I'm able to get on a payment plan (calling to confirm this in the upcoming week), then I will be able to pay off a large amount right off the bat and just pay for the remainder with a payment plan.

That's why I want to keep this open, and wanted to provide this update. If you're reading this and decide to donate, you have my deepest gratitude, along with everyone who helped me reach this goal. You have no idea how much it means to me to have hope like this.

When I get solid numbers from the clinic I will update again. Thank you everyone.

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Hello, and thank you for taking the time to click the link to read my story. It truly means a lot.

My name is Devon, though most know me as Devi, He/Him. I'm from Michigan, and I'm in my 30's.

I didn't want to have to make a fundraiser to get this done, but unfortunately I have no choice as I have exhausted other resources. I had my surgery set up with the gender clinic services plastic surgeon Dr. Edwin Wilkins of U of M, and my insurance (at the time) Medicaid had approved the prior authorization to fund the surgery entirely. Right after the approval, I was denied my renewal just a few days out from the end period of my coverage (9/30/2023). Medicaid has been making everyone manually renew since the pandemic has ended, and I simply "make too much" above the threshold to be able to keep Medicaid. I tried to appeal several times and was told that a hearing would be useless, as they would deny me again based on my income, and they do -not- take bills into account and there's no way to use them to supplement an appeal. The surgery on it's own out of pocket is $10,000.

Working with my therapist (who has been keeping me as a client using his own private fund), he helped me to come up with a plan. That plan is to purchase an insurance plan he helped me research that would pay for most of my surgery costs with a much lower out-of-pocket amount. The current date is Friday, October 6th 2023. I have until next Friday, October 13th 2023 to purchase this plan and relay the information to my surgeon to be able to keep my surgery date on November 17th 2023. I have to be able to afford this insurance as soon as possible to even have a chance of getting this done this year, and I've been waiting many, many painful years.

I suffer from extreme dysphoria and physical pain from my chest. My back constantly hurts, I have a hard time sleeping comfortably in any position. I can't walk for long periods, I can't jog for exercise, I get painful heat rashes and blisters no matter how clean I keep myself, and worst of all, my chest is too big to bind. Anytime I've tried, I've been unable to breathe from the sheer pressure. I'm tired of wrangling on bras and binders that are always too small to even try to compress my chest, and I'm so, so tired of being so viscerally uncomfortable with my body that I just cry whenever I see myself. The literal weight on my chest is so heavy even my doctor said that it's like I'm constantly carrying around a small child strapped to the front of me, and they're right. I'm uncomfortable every second of every day, and the mental strain from the dysphoria interfering with my gender identity has been a harder and harder battle by the day. I feel hopeless and abysmal.

I suffer from depression, severe anxiety and paranoia, as well as bi polar disorder. I've suffered from self harming in the past from the sheer disgust of the state of my body, and even though I've come a long way from such things, I'm truly afraid of the state of my mental health the longer I go without this very necessary procedure for my quality of life. I had meant to have this done in my early 20's, but life didn't give me the chance until now. The timing of everything is so awful, honestly. Not only did I lose my beloved cat companion of 11 years recently, the timing lined up just perfectly enough to cut me off just a couple of months shy of my surgery. I was so ready, and I finally felt like I might be getting my chance.

That's why I'm here now, daring to ask all of you for help so that I may have hope that this is possible for me. For years I've been surrounded by family and friends who have had the good fortune or circumstance of having this life altering surgery done, and all I've ever done is feel so hopeless that it will ever happen for me due to my financial constraints and my situation. Not only am I the breadwinner for a family of 4, I have several rescue cats and I fully pay for the expenses of one of my partners due to her own physical and mental limitations as she pursues her journey to get state disability.

All in all, the goal of this fundraiser is to raise the total cost of the insurance monthly premium cost, and the surgery itself with the addition of co-pays on follow up appointments and prescription painkillers for the surgery aftercare. Originally the surgery would be $10k out of pocket, but if I can manage to get this insurance purchased ASAP, they will be able to put in the prior-authorization for the insurance which would bring it down significantly with what they will cover for it. Please, please help me reach this goal as soon as possible to help me be comfortable, finally, in my body so that I may begin to heal from a lifetime of dysphoria and trauma.

Notes regarding the fundraiser:

Raising money for the insurance premium costs for 2 months and surgery, prescriptions, co-pays for post-op appointments, and a small financial cushion for any possible emergency appointments should anything happen such as an infection or emergency situation.

If you are unable to donate through gofundme, please consider donating through my PayPal or CashApp below.

PayPal: www.paypal.me/princeofstarlight

CashApp: https://cash.app/$villainousven

I know this was a long read, but thank you so, SO much if you made it all the way through to hear my story. Please share this anywhere you can, and please if you are able to, even a small amount counts toward helping me achieve this lifelong goal. You have my eternal gratitude.

-Devi