FTM Top Surgery for Julian :)
Donation protected
When I was in 9th grade I came out as transgender. During the years of my life before that, I had struggled with my gender identity, wondering what all the confusion meant. Now I have graduated high school, and hope to go off to college and live the rest of my life as a man. However, before I can do that safely I know I need get top surgery. In this procedure, a doctor removes the mammary glands and reforms the chest to give it a more masculine appearance. This would allow me to pass (i.e. be generally recognized as male by society) more easily, and in any social situation would make me much safer.
The safety aspect of the surgery is very valuable, but was not what originally motivated me. I have a lot of gender dysphoria, the discomfort caused by someone’s perceived gender misaligning with their sex, around my chest. Every morning looking in the mirror and seeing my chest is emotionally and mentally painful, and top surgery would alleviate this pain. To help me change my feminine appearance I am being prescribed testosterone, but that does not affect my chest, and therefore does not help with chest dysphoria. Currently, to help with the problems caused by my chest, I wear a binder. Unfortunately, after 4 years of using a binder my shoulders and neck are very stiff.
I am currently working on applying to colleges, and when I do get in I will be attending next year. With that being a given, I would only have this summer before school to get top surgery. I can only do this in the summer months because I need someone to come with me, since after top surgery I will need someone to help me through recovery. My family is not the most supportive, so I will have to bring two of my friends. Both of them are in college, and are very busy during the fall, winter, and spring as I also soon will be. In coming summers we will all be busy with jobs and internships and will not have time to travel to Florida and spend a week there. Because of this, we are hoping to go this August.
In college, I would be living in a dorm with another man, and it would be very hard to convince him that I am trans if I have these big, obvious boobs on my chest at night when I am not wearing my binder (since you can only safely bind for 8 hours a day). I am planning on going stealth (keeping my trans status a secret) in college, simply because being outwardly trans tends to complicate relationships with my peers. I do not think binding for an additional year would be ideal either (because it is so unhealthy), so in every aspect having my top surgery this summer is the best scenario.
I am planning on booking my surgery with Dr. Charles Garramone in Florida because I have seen his work and how he speaks to his patients, and I believe he is the best doctor for me. His surgery’s have the aesthetic that I want, and I have heard great things about him. I live in Pennsylvania, so I will have to pay for plane tickets, motel/hotel costs, food for the week and transportation inside Florida on top of the surgery. That is what this Gofundme is about. I have had a job in customer service (which pays reasonably well) for two years and have been actively saving for a year. I now have $2,000, but need help raising the rest of the money in time. I would be very grateful for any donations made, even if it is only a small amount (a bit of the money I already have was made by collecting change and then cashing it at the bank, so I know money really builds up!).
Thank you so much for making it to the end of this really long description! It means a lot that you are interested enough to read all that, and would mean even more to me if you donate. If you cannot donate, I ask that you pass this GoFundMe along! All the help is greatly appreciated.
<3 Julian
This fundraiser has not been made to garner negativity, so if you are not in support of my transition or transgender identity, please be respectful and leave.
The safety aspect of the surgery is very valuable, but was not what originally motivated me. I have a lot of gender dysphoria, the discomfort caused by someone’s perceived gender misaligning with their sex, around my chest. Every morning looking in the mirror and seeing my chest is emotionally and mentally painful, and top surgery would alleviate this pain. To help me change my feminine appearance I am being prescribed testosterone, but that does not affect my chest, and therefore does not help with chest dysphoria. Currently, to help with the problems caused by my chest, I wear a binder. Unfortunately, after 4 years of using a binder my shoulders and neck are very stiff.
I am currently working on applying to colleges, and when I do get in I will be attending next year. With that being a given, I would only have this summer before school to get top surgery. I can only do this in the summer months because I need someone to come with me, since after top surgery I will need someone to help me through recovery. My family is not the most supportive, so I will have to bring two of my friends. Both of them are in college, and are very busy during the fall, winter, and spring as I also soon will be. In coming summers we will all be busy with jobs and internships and will not have time to travel to Florida and spend a week there. Because of this, we are hoping to go this August.
In college, I would be living in a dorm with another man, and it would be very hard to convince him that I am trans if I have these big, obvious boobs on my chest at night when I am not wearing my binder (since you can only safely bind for 8 hours a day). I am planning on going stealth (keeping my trans status a secret) in college, simply because being outwardly trans tends to complicate relationships with my peers. I do not think binding for an additional year would be ideal either (because it is so unhealthy), so in every aspect having my top surgery this summer is the best scenario.
I am planning on booking my surgery with Dr. Charles Garramone in Florida because I have seen his work and how he speaks to his patients, and I believe he is the best doctor for me. His surgery’s have the aesthetic that I want, and I have heard great things about him. I live in Pennsylvania, so I will have to pay for plane tickets, motel/hotel costs, food for the week and transportation inside Florida on top of the surgery. That is what this Gofundme is about. I have had a job in customer service (which pays reasonably well) for two years and have been actively saving for a year. I now have $2,000, but need help raising the rest of the money in time. I would be very grateful for any donations made, even if it is only a small amount (a bit of the money I already have was made by collecting change and then cashing it at the bank, so I know money really builds up!).
Thank you so much for making it to the end of this really long description! It means a lot that you are interested enough to read all that, and would mean even more to me if you donate. If you cannot donate, I ask that you pass this GoFundMe along! All the help is greatly appreciated.
<3 Julian
This fundraiser has not been made to garner negativity, so if you are not in support of my transition or transgender identity, please be respectful and leave.
Organizer
Julian Cairns
Organizer
Springfield, PA
