Daniel's Top Surgery - Help Me Avoid Breast Cancer
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Daniel Garrison. I am a 19 year old trans man and I need help to pay for top surgery. I no longer have insurance, am currently unemployed, and my family cannot afford to pay the full cost.
I came out as a trans guy in 2015 and have been on testosterone since January 2018. My mental health has greatly improved since I started transitioning and I feel more comfortable in my own body than ever, but my chest is still causing me immense pain.
I have not gone outside or been around anyone but family without wearing a binder (chest compression garment) since August 2015. Even doing so for limited times in the safest way possible, which is not always possible for me, doing it for so many years has caused me to now have chronic back, chest, and shoulder pain even while not binding. No over-the-counter pain medicine is enough to allow me to not be in pain after binding for 4 or more hours.
I always knew that binding wasn't a permanent solution, but it has gotten to the point where I physically cannot afford to wait much longer.
I have wanted to get top surgery since before I knew what it was, when I learned about double mastectomies after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I immediately decided that I wanted to do that, and despite the adults around me telling me I might change my mind when I was older, it's still true over 10 years later.
I started attending weekly LGBTQ+ youth meetings in March 2016, and through that group I met not only other trans kids my age I could relate to, but trans adults who gave me hope and a vision of who I could become. Seeing an adult trans man who had been on testosterone for years, had top surgery, and was successfully working with non-profits to help other trans people and advocating for us, helped me understand that there really is a way forward and that I could one day live a truly happy life.
This surgery will be that final physical step for me.
I was lucky in that my chosen surgeon, who has done the top surgeries of three of my friends and consistently has good results, was having a 20% discount on surgeries booked before the end of 2019 in honor of November being Transgender Awareness Month. My family was able to make the $1000 deposit, but there is no way for us to save up the remaining $7,250 in time. At the time we booked it, we thought we would be able to get about $4000 of it paid for, but that fell through and now we are in desperate need of help.
The surgery is scheduled for June 4th and the final payment must be made a week before. If I cannot make the payment in time, I can reschedule once without losing the deposit, and the rest of the money is refundable.
If you would like to donate through PayPal to avoid GoFundMe's fees, it is [email redacted]. Please send it with a message such as "For Daniel" or "Top Surgery" so we can be sure of what the money is for.
Thank you so much for donating and sharing, truly anything is appreciated!
I came out as a trans guy in 2015 and have been on testosterone since January 2018. My mental health has greatly improved since I started transitioning and I feel more comfortable in my own body than ever, but my chest is still causing me immense pain.
I have not gone outside or been around anyone but family without wearing a binder (chest compression garment) since August 2015. Even doing so for limited times in the safest way possible, which is not always possible for me, doing it for so many years has caused me to now have chronic back, chest, and shoulder pain even while not binding. No over-the-counter pain medicine is enough to allow me to not be in pain after binding for 4 or more hours.
I always knew that binding wasn't a permanent solution, but it has gotten to the point where I physically cannot afford to wait much longer.
I have wanted to get top surgery since before I knew what it was, when I learned about double mastectomies after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I immediately decided that I wanted to do that, and despite the adults around me telling me I might change my mind when I was older, it's still true over 10 years later.
I started attending weekly LGBTQ+ youth meetings in March 2016, and through that group I met not only other trans kids my age I could relate to, but trans adults who gave me hope and a vision of who I could become. Seeing an adult trans man who had been on testosterone for years, had top surgery, and was successfully working with non-profits to help other trans people and advocating for us, helped me understand that there really is a way forward and that I could one day live a truly happy life.
This surgery will be that final physical step for me.
I was lucky in that my chosen surgeon, who has done the top surgeries of three of my friends and consistently has good results, was having a 20% discount on surgeries booked before the end of 2019 in honor of November being Transgender Awareness Month. My family was able to make the $1000 deposit, but there is no way for us to save up the remaining $7,250 in time. At the time we booked it, we thought we would be able to get about $4000 of it paid for, but that fell through and now we are in desperate need of help.
The surgery is scheduled for June 4th and the final payment must be made a week before. If I cannot make the payment in time, I can reschedule once without losing the deposit, and the rest of the money is refundable.
If you would like to donate through PayPal to avoid GoFundMe's fees, it is [email redacted]. Please send it with a message such as "For Daniel" or "Top Surgery" so we can be sure of what the money is for.
Thank you so much for donating and sharing, truly anything is appreciated!
Organizer and beneficiary
Daniel Garrison
Organizer
Tampa, FL
Shevaun Garrison
Beneficiary