My name is Yassi ,and I go by they/them pronouns.

I was born and raised in Iran. I was there until I was 18 and then moved to Canada without my parents.

 Growing up in Iran, I definitely faced a lot of trauma and oppression against my sexuality and gender exploration. I was made to believe I was who I was and there was no change. A lot of this came with facing extreme hardships.

 After years and years of working with therapists and doctors in Canada, I finally started to build the courage and mental health to actually explore my existence and begin a healing process.

 I shed a lot of people from around me who were toxic and was left with very few people, one including my mom.

 She always tried her best to raise me the best she could and knew. I never wanted to lose her love so I pushed my own needs and desires aside.

 We both have reached a point in a our life where love is unconditional. When she made that clear to me, I finally told her what's been going on and that was the first time I said it out loud, outside of a doctor's office.

 It felt so good and right that life just made sense for the first time in a long time. Now that I'm starting to reconnect with myself, I realized I need to have some changes done in order to dissolve body dysmorphia. This includes gender confirming treatments.

 I am planning on going to Turkey for my top surgery. My mom lives there and I want to be with her when I am healing.

 In Canada, my doctor of 10 years recently left and abandoned me. As a person of colour, it is already hard enough having to start over with a new doctor. But Nova Scotia also has a doctor shortage, with waitlists of years to get a doctor. This would be just to begin the process of having this top surgery covered in Canada. ( AND there is still a $3000 non-negotiable fee for "covered" top surgery in Canada.)

 I have been in touch with my surgeon in Turkey. Not only will the cost be more reasonable, but the care I will get will be better. My surgeon specializes in gender confirming surgeries and has been a surgeon for 29 years.

 I am looking to raise funds to help cover the cost of surgery, as well as to help cover the time I will need to take this time to heal.

 I'm looking forward to finally connecting with a body I only saw as an entrapment. I want to become the best version of myself.

 I am so thankful to everyone who can help!