I was lying on a stretcher and the doctor came in and loudly announced my deadname. He told me I don't look like my deadname and stared at my chest, making me very uncomfortable.

I explained my symptoms, but instead of responding to them, he said, 'Why is your chest so flat?'

I couldn't say anything at the time. He brought up my name and gender again, and asked if I was female and if I got periods. That made me extremely uncomfortable. I just left the place and went back to my room, had a fight with my mom and told her to go back home.

I didn't tell her what happened in the emergency room but she figured, and I locked myself in my bedroom again, for a week or so.

In that week I was terrified thinking about how my life would be: I would not be able to access healthcare ever?

It's not just about accessing health care, it's about accessing other sources as well. People don't know, they judge you and say nasty things.

That hit me really hard, I was really suicidal after that incident and it stayed with me.

But the good thing was that because it stuck with me, I managed to handle those feelings. There are so many people like me, who might not be able to access healthcare. That's when I decided that I want to work for the community, and joined Safe Access.