Elijah's Chance at a Better Life
I am raising funds so that my son, Elijah, can have the chest surgery he so desperately needs.
Hamilton, Waikato
My son Elijah is one of the most extraordinary human beings I know.
Eli began his life as our daughter. He has struggled with feeling different to everyone else. Puberty triggered so many problems for Eli, the worst being depression and suicidal attempts.
After a lot of research, Eli discovered he was a male born into a female body. Since then, he has transitioned into the remarkable young man he was always meant to be. Eli is undergoing testosterone treatment & is living as a man in all aspects of his life.
But his battle is far from over. Eli has to bind his chest to live as a male. This is detrimental to his mental & physical health. The dysphoria he gets from having breasts adds to his depression, & the skeletal problems he has from binding is painful and has serious long-term effects. He needs to have chest reconstruction surgery.
Despite the recommendations from all his doctors, Eli has a 5 year wait for surgery. I fear my son will not survive a 5 year wait.
Eli has exhausted all possible avenues, so private surgery is now his only option. Eli is about to start his first year at Uni, & we are not in a position to pay for the surgery. We have been through a horrific ordeal where someone else’s fraud cost us our home, our savings & our future. We would pay for this if we could, but we have nothing. It breaks my heart that we cannot help our son.
I am desperately asking for help, for my son, so that he can be happy, healthy & live a full life. I thank you with my whole heart.
Sharee Old's involvement (page creator)
I am the very proud mother of Elijah, my son, who constantly proves to me what a remarkable human being he is.
Use of funds
All funds will raised will be used to pay for the surgery, accommodation and post-operative care.
Other page links
Latest update
Three Months Post Surgery 18 November 2022
Check out this photo of my handsome son, with his beautiful girlfriend. A year ago, I didn’t think that I would ever see him smile this much again. A year ago, I didn’t think that I would ever see him enjoy life like this. I truly am grateful that he can do both.
Elijah is now three months post-surgery, and he is feeling great. He is a free man! Free from the confines of a compression vest, and free to again pursue the things in life he loves. He is excelling in his Uni studies, he is again finding the passion for his art, and he is looking forward to playing hockey again next year. But most of all, I love to see that smile on his face and the twinkle in his eyes that got lost there for a while.
I have spoken often of how much I admire and adore my son. He has braved one of the toughest set of challenges that any young person (let alone an adult) would find hard to overcome, and he has done it with maturity and dignity. I am constantly inspired by him.
However, he hasn’t done it alone. Mike and I have always been, and will continue to be, his no. 1 supporters, but we couldn’t have gotten this far without the love and support from family, friends, and all of you kind, generous people who donated towards Elijah’s surgery. We really are overwhelmed by the generosity, and the messages of love and support. YOU HELPED US TO SAVE OUR SON, and for that, there are not enough words. We don’t know how else to say thank you to all of you, for you to know the depth of our gratitude and love, so we will simply say “THANK YOU” xx
Unfortunately, we only raised just over half of what Elijah needed for the surgery. After help from family, he had to borrow the rest to cover all his medical bills. Elijah is such a hard worker. He is funding his Uni studies from his part time job and had to use the money he had set aside for next year’s fees to help pay for the surgery. Elijah is so intelligent and has achieved remarkable grades from his first year of study. He has a brilliant future ahead of him where he eventually wants to “pay it forward” by helping others out who will experience the same challenges in life that he has.
I am going to keep this page open until the closing date in case there are people out there who would like to still help Elijah out. He has a long road ahead of him, and any help that he receives along the way will be appreciated. He will make a difference in this world, and the world will be a better place because of him. I know it.
Thank you xx
Latest donations
This is so special Ingrid. Thank you so very much for your kindness and your generosity. We will never forget it. Sending you all our love xxx
Dear Roger and Alison. Thank you so very much for your very kind, very generous donation. This will truly help Elijah through his journey, towards a brighter future for him. We are so thankful to have such amazing friends xxx
Thank you so very much Rebecca. This is so kind of you ♥️ I have passed in your well wishes to Eli and he says thank you, you are so sweet. I am with him now, and he is doing very well. He will be discharged today. Thanks again. Your support means the world to us xxx
Ingrid, this is so very sweet of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your very generous donation, and for your best wishes. This means everything to Eli, and to us, and I will never forget your kindness. Sending you our love <3 xxx
Thank you so very much, Margaret. Your kind and generous donation means the world to us. We are so very grateful. Thank you x
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