Meet Karter

Karter (she/her) has been on HRT twice in the past but has repeatedly been forced to stop for reasons beyond her control. She lives in a rural area with no local HRT providers, so telehealth is her only real option, but even that requires expensive labs and occasional in-person visits: her last quoted lab cost was $500 without insurance and $200 with it. Travel to clinics is a multi-hour ordeal, and the nearest state line is four hours away.

Karter works about 25 hours a week and also does independent work as an adult voice actress, but she’s been houseless for over three years. She and her mother live in modified school buses; her mother’s bus has DIY solar and basic utilities, while Karter’s bus currently has no utilities beyond a recently installed AC. Extreme heat is a constant threat, and she’s juggling dental work, student and tax debt, and remaining payments on her bus while trying to afford the basic costs of transition.

For Karter, this grant would be life-changing. “This grant would be the difference between surviving and thriving,” she shared. With a year of support, she could cover labs and medication, stabilize her living situation, and finally begin to move from survival toward a future where she can thrive.