Andrew Marshall (he/him) of Georgia was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Nour Abboushi. When asked about the meaningfulness of receiving a grant from the Jim Collins Foundation, Andrew stated, “If I could sum up this whole process in one word, I’d use ‘hope.’ I spent years researching for relief, battling insurance, and praying that something would come through so I could live life as the man I’ve envisioned. As a college student fighting to escape poverty, I steered away from help for quite a while. There was a lot of shame and guilt surrounding the idea of … [Read more...]
2022 Founders’ Fund Grant Recipient Nadia Butler (she/her)
Nadia Butler (she/her) of Pennsylvania was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Christine McGinn. When asked how this grant will change her life, Nadia said, “I couldn’t initially believe I was awarded a Jim Collins Foundation grant when members of the organization’s board told me on a Zoom call in late May that I would receive one. I went a little dumb, with shock. It was only on reflection that it hit me: one day soon my body will be as it ought to have always been. This grant allows me to dream and plan for a different future because it frees me from many of … [Read more...]
2022 Founders’ Fund Grant Recipient Jazmyn Watson (she/her)
Jazmyn Watson (she/her) of Oregon was selected for a Founders’ grant to receive voice feminization surgery with Dr. Vartan Mardirossian. When asked why she is grateful to receive this grant, Jazmyn shared, "This surgery will enable me to authentically express myself, live a stable life, and pursue my career dreams. I am a Black Trans Woman and an award-winning dancer/choreographer, but there was a time when I almost quit and wanted to hide myself from the world because people would say hateful slurs against me, plus I was suffering from being misgendered and discriminated against when applying … [Read more...]
2022 Founders’ Fund Grant Recipient Robin (he/they)
Robin (he/they) of Nevada was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Ethan Larson. When asked how this grant will impact his life, Robin shared, "I am a transmasculine non-binary person who grew up in a religious household where a majority of my family did not accept my gender identity. I tried to suppress myself for a long time, but I realized hiding pained me more than anything. When I finally came out, I received judgment from friends and family who continue to deadname me or refuse to talk to me to this day. It was upsetting at first, but I’ve learned to … [Read more...]
2022 Founders’ Fund Grant Recipient Shahad Alghamdi (he/him)
Shahad Alghamdi (he/him) of New York was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Scott Mosser. When asked what receiving this grant means to him, Shahad said, "For me, this surgery is a lifeline that I have long dreamed of. I am a young, queer, immigrant transman from a religious fundamentalist country where being trans is punishable by the death penalty. My family and my society intensely pressured me to conform to the gender norms expected of women, and I was punished and beaten when I tried to defy their expectations. I was in a cycle of severe depression, … [Read more...]
2022 Founders’ Fund Grant Recipient Z (he/him)
Z (he/him) of West Virginia was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Kenneth Wolf. When asked what this grant means to him, Z said, "This surgery will save my life. I had been so close to giving up on life because I suffered years of abusive relationships, misgendering, rejection by my family and community, and even physical attacks on the street. I would stay home because I couldn't bear going outside when I was feeling gender dysphoria and I was afraid of being jumped by transphobes. This surgery means the world to me because now I'll finally be able to look … [Read more...]
Dan Grubb
Dan Grubb, California, was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Alexander Facque, California. When asked about the meaningfulness of receiving a grant from the Jim Collins Foundation, Dan stated, “I know now that I will be able to see my reflection, I will live longer, and I will be able to share myself with others in the way that I've always wanted to. I am closer to finding comfort and actualizing the presentation of self I have always seen into in my physical reality. I now know these things are possible because I received the JCF grant.” … [Read more...]
Maddie
Maddie [last name withheld], Minnesota, was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Bryan Rolfes. When asked about being transgender and pursuing gender transition, Maddie stated, “Being transgender can sometimes mean waiting a lifetime to finally feel comfortable in your own skin. I came out in my early 30s and wanted to move my transition as fast as possible and make up for so many lost years. However, the cost of gender-affirming surgery meant that my transition slowed to a crawl. Receiving this grant from the Jim Collins foundation for facial feminization … [Read more...]
Andrew Williams
Andrew Williams, Florida, was selected to receive a Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Thomas Fiala, Florida. When Andrew was asked to reflect on his journey toward gender affirming surgery, he stated, “While writing this statement, I began to think about the person I was when I applied for the grant. I felt like the whole world was against me and I was just desperately trying to grab for any sort of help I could get. I remember feeling like there was such a tiny chance of receiving a grant and so, so many other trans people in need that I did not know … [Read more...]
Tina Tinyton
Tina Tinyton [pseudonym], Michigan, was selected to receive a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Christine McGinn, Pennsylvania. When asked about their interests and experience as a transgender individual, Tina stated, “I enjoy reading about Astrophysics, Nature, and about new research and innovations in technology. I often hang out with my friends, play D&D and video games together, as well as be part of the social support structure with them. I spend a lot of my time helping people understand Transgender HRT. Receiving the JCF grant is an opportunity for surgery that I … [Read more...]
Kim
Kim, Florida, received a Krysallis Anne Hembrough Legacy grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Lenny Roudner, Florida. When asked about receiving this grant from the Jim Collins Foundation, Kim stated, “I am forever grateful that the Jim Collins Foundation has helped me on my journey. Society has seen the Overton Window shift in the last few years to favor the acceptance of transgender individuals in the US. Additionally, science, nature, and medicine have unequivocally affirmed that transgender individuals are valid. I am proud to be part of a new generation of openly transgender … [Read more...]
Danny
Danny [pseudonym], Illinois, was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher, Florida. Speaking about his journey, “This past year I watched, terrified for my own life, as fellow black people were murdered. I lost my job due to COVID and dipped into what little I had in my savings for surgery just to survive. Life felt bleak as the country rioted and fought over whether black lives, my life, mattered. During the initial lockdown, I looked at my wife and told her that I did not think I was meant to have surgery. That same day, I found the Jim Collins … [Read more...]
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