Help Sarah Recover

Being sight-impaired and experiencing major setbacks has not stopped Sarah. A beloved and well-known massage therapist in Kitsap County, Sarah is a self-employed single mother with two teenagers at home.

Sarah's Story

Sarah's epilepsy was well-controlled until August 2022 when, due to a pharmacy glitch, she was unable to get her anti-seizure medication. As a result, Sarah ended up on life-support at Tacoma General. The following months held further emergency room visits as doctors worked to diagnose and treat her seizures and widespread pain.

Sarah survived a major seizure on May 2 only because a friend found her unresponsive in her home and performed CPR until emergency services arrived and transported her to the hospital. She was transferred from Virginia Mason to CHI Franciscan Rehabilitation Hospital on May 19 for intensive in-patient rehabilitation which includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech/memory therapy to rebuild strength and balance, to teach the right side of her body to coordinate with her left side and to work on short-term memory processing and multitasking deficiencies caused by the hospitalization back in August.

As a result, Sarah has been without income since her most recent hospitalization on May 2.

Sarah's Progress

Sarah is working hard and making slow and steady process in her rehabilitation program.

She is currently using a wheelchair when not walking in order to keep her body from reverting to overcompensating with her stronger left side. She began walking with a walker on her first day of therapy, going about 25 feet before needing to rest. By week two, she was able to walk 190 feet, and by week three, she had increased her walking with a walker to 280 feet. She recently began using forearm crutches while going up and down stairs!

Sarah says "I have literally had to teach myself how to walk correctly again. I can only imagine that this is how a baby feels while he or she is learning how to walk for the first time. I definitely have a newfound appreciation for what my clients go through, as I am now on the other side of my job, being a rehabilitation client instead of the massage therapist."

On the horizon

At some point, Sarah will be well enough to not require hospitalization and return home, but will still require outpatient rehabilitation to get back to her new normal. She will need a wheelchair for the poor neurologic days and forearm crutches for balance.

She will continue to build strength and balance in order to return to work as a massage therapist, as well as to work with her seeing-eye dog, Grace.

Any contribution financially or with services and resources is deeply appreciated.

Funds will be used for medical expenses that aren’t covered, including mobility devices and making the necessary changes needed in her home like a wheelchair ramp and proper handrails, and to temporarily cover living expenses for Sarah and her children while she rehabilitates so she can get back to her livelihood and what she loves – being present for her teenaged daughters and taking care of her clients with massage, Reiki, and BodyMind Bridge healing.