Viv McCall’s Facial Feminization Surgery
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Martha Vivian McCall. I am a 23 year old trans woman in Chicago raising money for facial feminization surgery.
It will be my first gender affirming surgery. One that will help fix a problem that has tugged at my heart for as long as I can remember.
I am trying to do as much of this on my own as possible. But I cannot make this happen without the support of loved ones and the community. Additionally, I am going to raise money for this surgery doing affordable $15/hr. studio time at my home. I'll ask that anyone booking time with me donate here.
The surgery is a combination of procedures that will, in a sense, “undo” the effects of testosterone on my face.
Now, testosterone is a powerful hormone and long term exposure shapes the face.
Think of any boy becoming a man. His brow grows, extending to a ridge above his eyes. The larynx crests and forms the Adam's apple.
T is like a sculptor that cuts sharp angles around the eyes, the jawline and nose. Leaves the skin and hair coarser then when he began. In combination, these features influence our perception of gender. Who strangers think I am and how safe I am in certain places. The way a mirror makes me feel.
While touring with my band, Jungle Green, in rural areas, I often conceal my breasts to hide my gender status. It sucks to go on stage and show my trans pride and the very next day use men’s restrooms and fear discovery.
When I first came out to so many of my family and friends, I shared my first experience with physical dysphoria. I was 7 years old, standing in the mirror of the downstairs bathroom of my home in Grapevine, Texas, realizing I was powerless to change my appearance. The contentment I dreamt of never came and the visceral horror I felt that afternoon never left.
Most trans women could tell you how difficult puberty was. What a relief estrogen remains. The hormone therapy I have taken since late 2017 has changed my appearance for the better. I am grateful. But certain aspects my face will never change without surgical intervention.
Later this year, Dr. Scott Chaiet will perform the surgery in Madison, Wisconsin. Starting from the bottom of my face, he will shave my Adam's apple, reshape my jaw and nose, and level my brow bone. It's intense, I know.
I'm happy to say insurance is going to cover the majority of the cost. But recovery will leave me unable to work for a few weeks. I live paycheck to paycheck and need help paying for transportation, rent and my cost of living during my recovery.
Chaiet will preform the surgery in two steps: the first in early September and the second two days before Halloween. After each procedure, I will be recovering at home for two weeks and the entire process requires seven trips between Chicago and Madison between August and September.
This fundraiser will help pay for...
>Transportation expenses to and from Madison, Wisconsin ($300)
>Two one night airbnb stays after the surgeries with my a friend or my partner ($120-$150).
>Costs associated with the hospital stay (Currently unknown).
>Electrolysis to clear any remaining facial hair. People do not realize how much the vascular structure of hair changes the shape of the face. Clearing this hair will help me and the surgeon. Electrolysis is unfortunately expensive ($100 to $125 an hour!) and not always covered by insurance.
>Medication ($30-$100 a month)
>Food ($50-$60 a week for a total of four weeks recovery time.
>Assistance with insurance premiums ($220 a month), rent ($660 a month) and covering debt from medical transition ($153 a month).
My goal of $3,330 dollars should keep my stomach full, a roof over my head and provide a little extra padding for financial emergency. Any extra money I make will fund future gender affirming surgeries. If I decide ultimately against them, I will donate the money to Trans Lifeline.
Thank you so much for reading. Y'all are the best.
-Martha Vivian
It will be my first gender affirming surgery. One that will help fix a problem that has tugged at my heart for as long as I can remember.
I am trying to do as much of this on my own as possible. But I cannot make this happen without the support of loved ones and the community. Additionally, I am going to raise money for this surgery doing affordable $15/hr. studio time at my home. I'll ask that anyone booking time with me donate here.
The surgery is a combination of procedures that will, in a sense, “undo” the effects of testosterone on my face.
Now, testosterone is a powerful hormone and long term exposure shapes the face.
Think of any boy becoming a man. His brow grows, extending to a ridge above his eyes. The larynx crests and forms the Adam's apple.
T is like a sculptor that cuts sharp angles around the eyes, the jawline and nose. Leaves the skin and hair coarser then when he began. In combination, these features influence our perception of gender. Who strangers think I am and how safe I am in certain places. The way a mirror makes me feel.
While touring with my band, Jungle Green, in rural areas, I often conceal my breasts to hide my gender status. It sucks to go on stage and show my trans pride and the very next day use men’s restrooms and fear discovery.
When I first came out to so many of my family and friends, I shared my first experience with physical dysphoria. I was 7 years old, standing in the mirror of the downstairs bathroom of my home in Grapevine, Texas, realizing I was powerless to change my appearance. The contentment I dreamt of never came and the visceral horror I felt that afternoon never left.
Most trans women could tell you how difficult puberty was. What a relief estrogen remains. The hormone therapy I have taken since late 2017 has changed my appearance for the better. I am grateful. But certain aspects my face will never change without surgical intervention.
Later this year, Dr. Scott Chaiet will perform the surgery in Madison, Wisconsin. Starting from the bottom of my face, he will shave my Adam's apple, reshape my jaw and nose, and level my brow bone. It's intense, I know.
I'm happy to say insurance is going to cover the majority of the cost. But recovery will leave me unable to work for a few weeks. I live paycheck to paycheck and need help paying for transportation, rent and my cost of living during my recovery.
Chaiet will preform the surgery in two steps: the first in early September and the second two days before Halloween. After each procedure, I will be recovering at home for two weeks and the entire process requires seven trips between Chicago and Madison between August and September.
This fundraiser will help pay for...
>Transportation expenses to and from Madison, Wisconsin ($300)
>Two one night airbnb stays after the surgeries with my a friend or my partner ($120-$150).
>Costs associated with the hospital stay (Currently unknown).
>Electrolysis to clear any remaining facial hair. People do not realize how much the vascular structure of hair changes the shape of the face. Clearing this hair will help me and the surgeon. Electrolysis is unfortunately expensive ($100 to $125 an hour!) and not always covered by insurance.
>Medication ($30-$100 a month)
>Food ($50-$60 a week for a total of four weeks recovery time.
>Assistance with insurance premiums ($220 a month), rent ($660 a month) and covering debt from medical transition ($153 a month).
My goal of $3,330 dollars should keep my stomach full, a roof over my head and provide a little extra padding for financial emergency. Any extra money I make will fund future gender affirming surgeries. If I decide ultimately against them, I will donate the money to Trans Lifeline.
Thank you so much for reading. Y'all are the best.
-Martha Vivian
Organizer
Martha Vivian McCall
Organizer
Chicago, IL