Stand with Cobalt: Fund Her Care

Cobalt Sovereign is a 17-year-old transgender student in Minnesota. She loves hanging out with her friends, her brother and her cat. Her favorite things to do are playing bass guitar, cooking, video games, and finding new colors for her hair. She is creative, kind and funny. On May 30, 2024, Cobalt was the victim of a violent assault during school hours. Outside of a bathroom, she was assaulted by another student who hit her so violently that he broke her jaw in two places, shattered her teeth, and gave her a concussion.

After being taken to the hospital by her parents, Cobalt was transported by ambulance to a level one trauma center. There, she underwent a multi-hour surgery to repair her jaw with three titanium plates. In a few months, once her jaw has fully healed, she'll need additional reconstructive dental work. In the meantime, she has a traumatic brain injury, which will prevent her from returning to school at this time.

Cobalt has a long and expensive medical road ahead, recovering physically and mentally. Her parents are also accruing non-medical expenses in order to care for her, including lost wages. They intend to fight for justice and may be in need of legal funds.

Since the total financial burden is unknown, the fundraising goal has been set for $20,000. We will revise the target amount if significant additional expenses emerge, and accompany any revision with detailed updates for transparency.

We are so grateful to all the friends and allies who can help Cobalt and her family on this difficult journey.

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June 7, 2024 Update

A message from Cobalt's family. "We are overwhelmed by the generosity that allowed us to exceed our campaign goal within 24 hours. Thank you so much to all the donors. You have been a shining beacon of light during this dark moment in our lives."

While national press attention has blessed the family with love from people like you, it has also opened them up to hate and the threat of additional violence from bigots and trolls. On the advice of the amazing staff at GLAAD, they will be installing a security system at home. This was not anticipated, so we're grateful for the donations received beyond the initial campaign goal. As Cobalt's needs become clearer they may also include options for a safer school setting.

We have been advised to raise our fundraising goal to $50,000. Here is our commitment to transparency:

1) We will provide a summary of expenses, medical and otherwise, once those become clear.

2) If needs exceed the donation total, we'll increase the campaign target and explain why.

3) If the donation total ultimately exceeds our needs, we'll donate the excess to LGBTQ+ support and advocacy groups and post that information here.

Thank you again to the friends and allies who are supporting the family through this journey. They are profoundly grateful for your kindness.