Lyra's Gender Affirmation Surgery

ABOUT ME

My name is Lyra, and I am an American trans woman based in Berlin, Germany. I’m a singer, composer, artist, writer, and curator who is constantly searching for new ways of making meaning, telling stories, and building community. For the past 3 years, I have been taking steps every day, every moment, to bring myself into this world in a way that feels authentic to me. Each of these steps has been an attempt to shine through my gender dysphoria, the pain of being “assigned male” and raised in a rural, Western culture that would, under no circumstance, let me be myself. Each step in my transition has been a way of loving myself. With time I have come to embrace and feel empowered in my femininity, this ongoing journey that is never over for transfeminine people. I feel so close to being the person I know myself to be, and yet there are still steps in my medical transition I feel are essential to take in order to be fully present and comfortable in this world we have been given, in the time I have to grace it.


ABOUT FACIAL FEMINIZATION

Facial Feminization Surgery, or FFS as it is commonly abbreviated, is a combination of subtle surgical procedures that aim to bring “male” facial features closer in line to “female” facial features. By refining and restructuring the hormonal bone that grows during a “male” puberty, FFS brings us transgender women closer to how we see ourselves. For many transgender women, FFS is one of the most important physical changes we can undergo. Our faces, the first things we show to the world, become our own, giving us the power to bring ourselves into the world each day.


MY DESIRE

As I have come into my womanhood, it has become clear to me that FFS is the next step in my journey. For me, FFS is a chance at a new and different life, one where I don’t fear leaving my house and can feel confident walking on the street wearing clothes I want to wear with greater ease. It is a prospect of a life where I don’t become immediately stressed, dysphoric, and depressed each morning when I look at myself in the mirror. This surgery would give me the peace of mind, the safety, the calm I need to see myself fully, to live in a beautiful way, to move on with my life in confidence and love. This is a very real and necessary step in the process of my transformation. I’m ready to live unabashedly as the transgender woman I see myself as. This is not about plastic surgery or some artificial idea of cosmetic beauty. When this surgery changes my face, it will make me feel like I have a face that is my own for the first time since puberty began to change my appearance. Unfortunately, FFS is not covered as part of my health insurance in Germany.


YOUR DONATION

I realize that there are so many places and causes you could donate to, so I appreciate any donation deeply. Your donations will directly cover the costs of my Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Bart van de Ven in Antwerp, Belgium, which I hope to schedule this winter. This includes my surgical and recovery costs, deposit, and travel costs, as well as round trip flights and accommodation for my twin brother to keep me company during my one-week hospital stay immediately after my surgery.


for the little girl in me who was never allowed to be
for the joy of learning to love my smile
for the chance to see myself when others see me
for finding the grace it takes to take care of others


I cannot thank you enough. Your support means the world to me!

With warmth and eternal gratitude,

xx
Lyra