There are people in our lives who quietly become the connective tissue — the ones who remember birthdays, follow your journey, check in when life gets hard, and celebrate you when life gets good.

Sara Behanna is that person.

She’s the friend who keeps in touch with everyone — not out of habit, but out of heart. She knows where you are in your life and actually cares. Someone once told her, “You connect people.” And it’s true. Sara has always wanted her friends to become friends. She builds community instinctively — introducing, including, remembering.

If you’re lucky — like me, and like my child — you don’t just stay connected to Sara. You build memories with her. You vacation together. Your lives overlap in a way that only happens when someone shows up consistently, over time.

That’s why what happened next is still so hard to comprehend.

Last year, Sara became disabled — almost overnight.

The exact cause of her condition is still being determined. She is working closely with a neurologist for answers, but what we now know is both serious and life-altering. A nerve conduction study last week proved what we had all suspected was true — Sara has significant nerve damage affecting her peripheral nerves — the nerves responsible for sensation and movement in her arms, hands, legs, feet, and even her face.

She experiences profound sensory loss and lives with constant neuropathic pain.

Sara has also been diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor called an acoustic neuroma, located on the nerve near her left ear, which has already caused significant hearing loss. Her medical team is still determining whether this tumor is connected to her broader neurological symptoms.

The specialist she has been seeing at Georgetown does not accept her new insurance, which means she must self-pay for her upcoming appointment next week — the appointment where it is expected she will finally receive a diagnosis and treatment plan.

And in the middle of all of this, life hasn’t paused.

What This Means for Sara’s Daily Life

Sara can no longer walk or stand without a walker.

She has limited use of her hands and struggles with fine motor skills.

She cannot drive.

She lives with chronic, often severe pain.

Thankfully, her mother has stepped in as her primary caregiver — but even with that support, daily life is incredibly difficult.

Sara has applied for Social Security Disability, but that process can take a year or more before a decision is made. Until then, she has no income.

And there’s one more reason this matters so deeply.

Sara is a mother.

Her son, Marino, is finishing the final months of his senior year of high school and preparing for graduation and college. In the middle of medical uncertainty, loss of independence, and chronic pain, Sara is still trying to be present for him — still trying to provide stability during a moment that should be full of hope and possibility.

She still carries financial responsibilities for him — his school needs, lunch account, graduation expenses, and everyday incidentals — because even when everything changes physically, you don’t stop being a mom.

This month will be the first month she does not have to pay rent, but she still faces:

• Remaining utilities

• Monthly phone bill

• Car insurance (shared with her mom)

• Groceries

• Ongoing medical costs

• Self-pay specialist visits

We have set a goal of $20,000 to help cover medical expenses, essential living costs, and provide stability during this long and uncertain wait for disability approval.

This GoFundMe exists to give Sara something she desperately needs right now: relief.

Space to focus on healing.

Space to get answers.

Space to breathe.

Sara has spent her life keeping people connected — checking in, showing up, remembering what matters.

Now it’s our turn to show up for her.

With love,

Rachelle