Help Roman Get Top Surgery

Story

A warm welcome to the friends who’ve helped me pull through for this, to extended family members who are having a “wait, wow, this is happening” moment, to acquaintances who are probably vaguely happy for me, and ideally, to kind strangers who are looking to support someone in need.

I’m J. M. Roman Sample! Call me Roman. I’m 21 years old, he/him pronouns. By the end of September, I will be celebrating three years on HRT! I’m hoping by the time we reach the fall, I will have taken another major step in my transition (TOP SURGERY!!!!). Truth be told, in times like these, it feels like now or never. Living in the United States, I need to have this procedure done while it is still legally possible for me to do so.

I spent this year putting the plans together. Started working with a gender specialist again, and now I have a consult! My consult date is June 9th, with my goal being to have the surgery towards the middle-end of the summer or beginning of winter break, should it come to that. I’m staying at a friend’s house for this process, training my body for surgery, as it would be somewhere between difficult and impossible to have it done at home.

Thus far, gender affirming care has saved my life. For the last year and for the first time in my life, at twenty-one, I look at my face in the mirror and it feels like mine. I fought for it. Made myself my own. What I’m looking forward to most with this next step is imagining myself finally going to the beach with my shirt off. Wearing tanks at the gym and maybe someday being in compression tops. Feeling safer in bathrooms and locker rooms. It’s going to be a huge quality of life change. A literal weight off my chest (which is maybe the most cliché possible line for this, but no less apt).

5k is the goal. Other than the cost of the surgery itself, the goal is to help with appointments, lab expenses, transportation, as well as materials needed for my recovery. I’m going to need mastectomy shirts and pillows, scar treatment medication, prescribed and otc pain medication for the six to eight week recovery period, keeping up with my hormones, and getting better hygiene products to keep the area as sanitary as possible.

If you have it to give, it would mean the world to me if you could support me in this. Friends and family, emotionally first and foremost, this is going to be a change, but believe me when I say I am positive it is for the better. Kind-hearted strangers and acquaintances who want to participate in my journey? Spaaaaare chaaaange…. And some kind words if you have those to spare as well.

Regardless, thank you for taking the time to read through this and supporting my journey!

Organizers :

Roman Sample is organizing this fundraiser.