In Sarah Manuel’s career as a school psychologist, she mentors elementary, middle and high school students as they navigate everyday challenges in life and education. Though it took time and self-acceptance, she is confident that living with SMA helps her relate to students on a deeper level. “Just because there are limits that a diagnosis places on someone doesn’t mean it reaches every aspect of your life. There’s so much more that you can do than what you can’t,” she shared.
According to doctors, Sarah was not supposed to live past early childhood. “I like to say that I’m 40 years past my expiration date. I fully celebrate my birthday and enjoy recognizing my age because it feels like such a gift.” It is because of this perspective that Sarah chose a career path of service, where she contributes to the social, emotional, and academic development of students during their developmentally critical childhood years; she also supports adults through an adult transition program. Her focus is on identifying and advocating for kids, their families, and adults living with disabilities.
Sarah’s career is driven by passion, but it was born out of necessity. “When I entered the workforce, I couldn’t get a job because of the challenging economy at the time, but eventually found a role in customer service working more than 40 hours a week. It was incredibly difficult on my arms, and I lost a lot of strength. My doctor told me I had to make a job change.” She pondered what to do next. For years, she didn’t feel comfortable facing her disability, but something was changing. “While I wasn’t exposed to many people with a disability in my small town, when I got face-to-face with another disabled person, no matter what disability it was, it was like looking in a mirror. And I didn’t like it. I preferred to be in denial,” she said.
Eventually, Sarah’s mindset shifted. “I realized that I was made different for a reason. I went from turning away from other people with disabilities to really embracing my experience and advocating and working with kids with disabilities.” A big part of Sarah’s shift has been a focus on mindset, which is something she works to instill in her students. “My world right now is surrounded by students with disabilities. The ones that tend to do best in life are the ones that have the mindset or mental attitude that they can go out and do whatever they want to do. Now, it may look different, but they can still achieve their goals and have a meaningful, fulfilling, purpose-driven life.”
In addition to her work with students, Sarah’s purpose-driven life has included marriage and having a child. Although she was advised by her doctor not to carry a pregnancy, she and her husband made the choice that for them, the risk was worth the potential reward. She now has a happy, healthy 12-year-old son who brings plenty of energy and excitement to her life. Raising her son and being part of the broader school community network that helps ‘raise’ or support students is incredibly meaningful to Sarah. It takes a village to raise a child, and she has a message for parents of her students and parents and caregivers of children with SMA. “I want to give parents and caregivers the permission to dream for your child and allow your child to dream fully and freely. I think when you experience a diagnosis, your world gets really small because you don’t know what’s going to happen, or what reality is going to be like. Nobody, even my parents, expected me to get married, have a career, and have a child.”
In addition to staying busy as a mom and school psychologist, Sarah is also a children’s book author. Her book, “Differences are Dynamite!”, follows six animal friends as they discover their differences and how to celebrate those differences. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.
Hi Sarah! I am the mom of a child (well, he’s a 37 year old now!) diagnosed with SMA when he was 3. I applaud the work you are doing with kids and their parents, especially in the context of the school system. I am a retired school counselor, my husband (who passed) was a school psychologist and I can remember the obstacles we had to face and eventually overcome when it came to making decisions about my son and what accommodations needed to be made to enhance his educational experience. Our motto became, “whatever the situation, somehow, we will make something work”! And, with help from friends and supporters, we did. Bryce, my son, is now an attorney, married, and he and his wife travel the world. Bryce has a website (scooty.com) where he chronicles different travel destinations for disabled people and talks about the accommodations available and the challenges they may find if they travel to those places. I’m so proud of him and so grateful for CureSMA and all the agencies associated with it! Thanks for your story! Sandie Young