Bring Sarah Home

Hello, we are the Cavanaughs,

John (dad), Maria (mom), Willow, and Sarah (identical twin sisters). The girls were born prematurely with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and later were diagnosed with Autism. Over the years they have faced many obstacles and challenges and also achieved many accomplishments. Although both girls have similar diagnoses it has presented differently for each of them. Willow is nonverbal (uses echolalia and scripting) and uses a wheelchair while Sarah has some mobility limitations and developmental delays. The girls are now 24 and they have lived their whole lives happily and fully together at home with their family.

We have found ourselves here in hopes of raising funds to cover the legal costs of an attorney who can help bring Sarah home. Last year due to medical negligence at the hands of her medical team, Sarah suffered medication withdrawals which led her to be hospitalized. She is currently being supported by a state-run program which is in opposition to what we as her family, who love and know her best, are suggesting to help Sarah recover.

Sarah has now been out of her home and away from her family, friends, and animals for 11 months. During this time we have been fierce advocates for Sarah. However, with her being an adult we are limited in what we can do or know regarding her recovery. That has led us to pursue guardianship over Sarah so that we can be informed and have the ability to make decisions on her recovery process based on who we know Sarah to be.

That is when our community comes in. We need a total of 15,000 dollars. As a family on a fixed income due to multiple family members having disabilities, we have been slowly saving toward our said goal. We are now at $2000. This small pot will cover the initial filing, retainer, and some communications with a lawyer we have found who has graciously reduced their hourly rate. Our small savings have been a good start but it's not financially sustainable for us to get the amount of money the lawyer will require as we move the work forward. To move forward and sustain the lawyer's work we need to raise at least $10,000 which is the goal of this fundraiser.

So, who is Sarah? Well, you see Sarah is a brilliant, bubbly, and caring 24-year-old young lady. Growing up Sarah was always curious, determined, and intrigued by the world around her. Some of her special interests over the years have been Princess Diana, Disney's Princess, animals, reading, writing, and advocacy. During her time in high school, she became empowered to be an advocate for people with special needs and disabilities. After graduating from Holyoke High School, Sarah was determined to go to college. We found a program at AIC (College Steps) and Sarah began to live out her college dreams. During her time at college, she was a panelist and presenter for a CHD conference and was invited to an Amnesty International event to bring awareness to the inhumane practices of the JRC School.

Sarah had the whole world ahead of her and she was taking it on by storm before she became sick 11 months ago. We as her family know that Sarah can recover and continue to live out her dreams. We are asking you to give what you can towards helping us bring Sarah home. We strongly believe that part of her healing journey is to be in her home with us, surrounded by her family, friends, and animals.

Peace and love,

The Cavanaughs