Sara Bean

Age 9, North Carolina

Meet Sara Bean. Please don’t be fooled by the serenity in this picture, Sara Bean has an unending supply of inquisitive energy. She is her happiest self when she’s outside playing in the dirt, water or, even better, both! She is captivated by nature and wants others to share in her enthusiastic exploration. If you’re looking for help in babyproofing your home, she is well equipped to point out the weak spots. She’s also kind, endearing and empathetic.

She was born just one minute after her twin sister, Emma, at 28 weeks via emergency c-section. Her bold personality shined through, even in her early days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She needed heart surgery when she was two weeks old and weighed two pounds.

As an elementary school student, she lives with epilepsy, a speech delay and global developmental delay. She is making good progress in virtual learning and school-based weekly therapies since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, although we’re all looking forward to being able to safely return to in person learning and friends.

Submitted by Sara Bean's mom, Stacy