Sarah lives in southeastern New Mexico with her husband, Clinton, and their six kids. In 2021, when their youngest daughter, Emarie, was two years old, she suddenly started having very dangerous apnea and loss of function episodes. After searching for answers in Texas, Colorado and Arizona, Emarie was diagnosed with a CACNA1A variant in November 2021. Receiving a diagnosis was what Sarah and Clinton thought they needed to find help for their daughter. Instead, they were told Emarie had a rare genetic disease that there was little information about and that no one was even sure how to help her, which they realized was almost as bad as having no diagnosis at all. It took them several months to get a genetic counselor to break down the genetic test results, and luckily, she told them about the CACNA1A foundation. Sarah says, "It was truly a blessing to know we were not alone anymore. I was able to email the Foundation website and talk to the President right away, which was life-changing for our family. Ever since we found our new 'family,' I have been passionate about connecting with newly diagnosed families in an effort to advocate for them and minimize the isolation of the unknown. There can be a lot of questions and not very many answers that come along with this diagnosis, so if we can just be there to offer support and any resources, it can make such a positive impact in a place that can be very difficult. I am also on a mission to raise awareness and do much-needed fundraising for the CACNA1A Foundation to achieve its ultimate goal of pushing science forward and finding a cure! I am honored to have the opportunity to join the board, and I am so excited for the future success of our CACNA1A champions!"

Sarah graduated in 2017 with her Certified Medical Assistant degree through the American Academy of Medical Associates. She continues to take various continuing education courses each year in hopes of finishing her bachelor of science in nursing.