In honor of Mother’s Day this year, we asked Liz Rodbell to tell us about her daughter, Sarah, who is the 2017 NF Ambassador.
“When I first found out Sarah had NF, I had no idea what it would mean for her, for our family and for me as her mom. We learned of NF when she was 9, when she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor (which thankfully she fully recovered from). We studied the disease and learned she would need to be diligent about checking for tumors, that her learning differences were caused by the disease and that were was a very small community that had even heard of the disease.
“As I watched Sarah deal with all this I saw something very special come forward; it was her desire to help others any way possible, those in the NF community and, really, in everyday life. She has chosen to raise money for CTF in many ways, including bake sales at school, hosting teas, participating in NF Walks and helping raise funds for the annual gala. She also inspired her uncle to dedicate his IRONMAN participation to finding a cure. She has inspired me to help in any way possible, supporting her along the way with a goal of a cure.
“Her dedication and perseverance through adversity has only made her stronger and a true leader. I am very inspired by her success and her passion for photography, including being awarded a Scholastic award and exhibiting a piece at the Metropolitan Museum! She will head out west this summer with National Geographic for a photography trip too! As she enters her senior year of high school and starts thinking about college, I know she will excel at whatever she decides to pursue; she is talented, dedicated, and enthusiastic about the future. I know she will do anything in her power to help those with this disease and make her mark in this world as a very giving and kind young lady.”
