Name: Sarah Todd Hammer
Age: 15
Dance Studio: Georgia
Why Sarah Todd wants to be a voice for children fighting cancer:
As a dancer who has a chronic illness myself, I understand the struggles of having a life-altering disease. When I was eight years old, in the middle of my ballet class, I developed an excruciating head/neckache before my arms went limp–paralyzed–at my sides minutes later. Within 16 hours, I became a quadriplegic, and I had lost any ability to dance due to a rare neuroimmune disorder called Transverse Myelitis. Now, seven and a half years later, at 15 years old, I can walk and have partial use of my arms/hands, and I am blessed to be able to dance again! Fluttering about the stage and smiling as I do what I love most gives me so much joy, and I want to share the happiness dancing brings me with others. My goal is to encourage other dancers with disabilities or chronic diseases that they have the power to do what they love most, despite their hardships. As I’ve had both my great aunt and uncle pass away from cancer within a few months of each other, I understand the difficulties families of those with cancer and those fighting this terrible disease themselves are going through. My hope is that, with plenty of research and awareness, we can find a cure and “dance through everything pernicious!”
