Ethan's Chest Reconstruction Surgery (Bilateral Mastectomy, Gender Reassignment)

Who am I and why do I need the money?

Hi! My name is Ethan and I am a 21-year old female-to-male trans guy. I have been on testosterone/HRT and living openly as a guy for almost 5 years but started my transition from female to male when I was around 12 or 13.

Binding my chest for close to half of my life has resulted in long-lasting pretty unbearable pain & discomfort whenever I have to wear my binder. As desperate as I have always been for this surgery I had accepted waiting until I was in a better financial spot so I could pay for it myself, but it has become a lot more urgent due to the severe impact binding has had on my body over the last couple of years.

Along with dealing with severe depression & anxiety since I was young, binding can be completely physically and emotionally exhausting which makes it sometimes almost impossible to get by normally day to day and greatly restricts what I'm able to do.

I currently live at home while I am in school full-time training to be a baker/pastry chef, once the school year ends I will need to start looking for work, but until I undergo surgery I will not be able to work a regular job with the pain and risks of causing more potentially permanent damage to my body. I am casually employed on the side and work where I'm able to raise money.

What is the surgery and how much does it cost?

I will be getting a bilateral mastectomy/FTM chest reconstruction surgery which will remove the extra breast tissue and skin, creating a flat "masculine" looking chest.

The surgery is going to cost approximately $16,000 NZD which covers everything from the procedure and anesthetics to the hospital stay and dressings.

I am scheduled to get it done in December, but I still have a long way to go financially; I currently have about $8,000 saved up and I expect to have around $9-10,000 by then which still leaves $6,000 still to be raised. If I cannot come up with the money by December I will be pushing back the date as necessary and continuing to raise the funds for it.

Every little bit counts, even if it's just a share to spread the word.

Thanks for reading and your consideration even if you are not able to donate! If you want to know more, I'm happy to answer any questions about my experiences and the whole process.

(full version of the header image for anyone interested https://imgur.com/a/kUjbN6c)