Jada Ayala (she/her) of Illinois was selected for a Founders’ grant to receive gender affirming surgery with Dr. Peter Raphael. When asked why she is grateful to receive this grant, Jada shared, “Getting this surgery is so important to me because it will allow me to feel at home in my body. I can cultivate the acceptance within myself that others denied me growing up. I grew up in multiple foster home placements where I was emotionally, verbally, and physically abused because I am transgender. People who grow up in the foster system disproportionately end up in jail, struggle with substance … [Read more...]

Aspen Ben Azulay (he/him or they/them) of South Carolina was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Hope Sherie. When asked about the meaningfulness of receiving a grant from The Jim Collins Foundation, Aspen stated, “Receiving this grant will allow me to enter a new chapter of my life as authentically myself. I am a first-generation college student and immigrant. For me, the last step in my transition is top surgery, and it will allow me to be proudly queer and comfortable within myself so I can pursue my dream of a career of community service. I am passionate … [Read more...]

Alexandra Dogwood (she/her) of Mississippi was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Christine McGinn.  When asked how this grant will change her life, Alexandra said, “This gender affirming surgery will provide me with a sense of security that I currently lack. I will be able to fully love myself and participate more fully in life. I grew up in a family that denied my gender identity and pressured me to undergo ‘conversion therapy’ to ‘cure’ me of being transgender. I was bullied in grade school, forced to drop out of college because of financial hardship, and … [Read more...]

Jenna Van Pelt (she/her or they/them) of Texas was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Curtis Crane. When asked how this grant will impact her life, Jenna shared, “Getting this gender affirming surgery will be an absolute blessing and would not have been possible for me without The Jim Collins Foundation’s financial assistance. I was disowned by my family when I came out as transgender. I have been hospitalized for anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and suicidal ideations related to my gender dysphoria. Despite all the challenges I have faced, I am currently a … [Read more...]

Michelle Harding (she/her) of Colorado was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Dany Hanna. When asked why she is grateful to receive this grant, Michelle shared, “I am in my 50s and have been desperately waiting for decades to get this gender affirming surgery so my body will be the way it should have been since the day I was born. I have suffered homelessness, failed marriages, rejection from my family, and immense emotional pain and gender dysphoria. I need this surgery to live a full life as my true self, but I couldn’t afford it without help. I am receiving … [Read more...]

Owen Lartson (he/him or they/them) of Texas was selected for a Founders’ grant for gender affirming surgery with Dr. Curtis Crane. When asked what receiving this grant means to him, Owen said, “I am a black, transmasculine person living in Texas, and because of this and other factors, the road to medical transition has been an extremely long and difficult one for me. I suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and these conditions are exacerbated by my gender dysphoria. For my personal comfort and quality of life, gender affirming surgery is medically necessary to alleviate … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]