Meet Juliana
Juliana's story
Thrive Fund recipient
Julianna (she/her) is a determined trans woman navigating significant challenges on her journey to living authentically. From a young age, Julianna has had to fend for herself, growing up without reliable parental support and facing frequent threats of homelessness from unsupportive family members. Despite these hardships, she remains committed to her transition and her goal of undergoing surgery.
Julianna struggles to afford basic necessities, let alone the additional costs of her transition. With her consultation for surgery scheduled for January 2025, Julianna urgently needs financial assistance to cover the fees for readiness letters from her psychologist and primary care physician—an essential step toward making her surgery possible.
Julianna shares, "Because of a variety of factors in my life, I have struggled just to support myself. I am young and barely getting on my feet. I have had to navigate being a transgender woman on top of being homeless, unemployed, and with no support system.I have wanted to just live my life as the woman I am, and to be so close to actually obtaining surgery, I would hate to have letter fee stop me from achieving my goal."
For Julianna, this surgery represents more than a medical procedure; it is a vital milestone in her journey to fully embracing her identity. Receiving support to cover these fees would allow her to continue her transition and take a crucial step toward living the life she has always dreamed of as her authentic self.
Juliana's timeline
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Award Granted
November 14, 2024
Juliana was awarded a Thrive Fund award!
Grant details
$250 towards gender-affirming care.
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Help us support more people like Juliana get the care they need and deserve.
About Healthcare Letters
On average, it costs $2,000+ for Juliana's care.
- What is it?
- Before care
- Accessibility
- After care
What is it?
Many insurers who cover gender affirming HRT or surgery require letters from mental health professionals verifying that the individual in question is trans and that the requested procedure is, in fact, the most effective treatment for the person. Some surgeons will also require this letter, or a letter verifying physical health, before moving forward with surgery, even if the patient is not using insurance.
What is life like for a person who needs this care?
Without these letters, folks often have a hard time proving that their procedure is gender affirming and it is often denied as "cosmetic."
How accessible is it for trans folks to receive this care?
For many trans folks, especially those who have been victims of medical discrimination, accessing these letters means finding a new provider and paying multiple copays before there is a sufficient relationship for the provider to write the letter. For those seeking physical clearance letters, sometimes the process can involve medical testing that can be expensive without insurance.
What is the impact of this care on the recipient’s life?
Access to health letters open a wide variety of doors for folks seeking gender-affirming care of all sorts.