Sarah is a resilient, strong, and fearless 15-year-old girl from upstate New York.
She was living her life as a typical teen, when suddenly an infection led to an above-the-knee amputation of her leg.
When Sarah went to the emergency room with what she thought was a simple sprained ankle, it turned out to be an infection caused by Streptococcus Group A. This infection progressed to toxic shock syndrome and then necrotizing fasciitis. Sarah’s mother, Brandy, said, “It spread rapidly up her leg to her knee and lower leg. On April 28, 2025, the doctors made the very hard decision to amputate her leg to stop the infection from spreading further.”
Since her amputation, Sarah has come to Shriners Children’s Philadelphia to receive a custom fit prosthetic leg from Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS). Her first appointment was via telehealth with Richard Goldberg, D.O. One day, when Sarah had a rash on her residual limb, Brandy was able to use our electronic patient provider communication platform named Epic to easily discuss her concerns with Dr. Goldberg. Brandy said, “We love the fact that because we are far away and I thought the rash was really bad under the compression sleeve, I could put it into Epic and Dr. Goldberg and the medical team were able to chat and diagnose from the pictures.”
Dr. Goldberg said, “Sarah is an energetic young lady who unfortunately lost her lower extremity to an infection. Upon first meeting her, I knew she would be a great candidate for a prosthesis to return her to normal function as a young girl. We will continue to support her in her life’s endeavors, and to meet her needs as she grows into adulthood.”
It's just been so easy to have access to care. It is easy to make appointments, easy to reschedule, and the communication is there.
Sarah works hard in physical therapy with Maggie Reilly, DPT, learning to walk independently with her new prosthesis. Each day she walks farther and more comfortably. She even chose a sparkly pattern for her prosthesis, and she brightens the hallways when she walks through them. Maggie said, “Sarah has embodied resilience and perseverance each day in physical therapy. She approaches each new challenge with determination and a positive outlook, and inspires other patients who are working towards their own goals with her uplifting spirit.”
Sarah is an athlete who loved playing on her school’s soccer, softball and basketball teams prior to her leg amputation, and she is determined to not let her prosthetic leg keep her from continuing to play. She plans to return to her sports with slight modifications, such as a designated runner for her softball games.
Sarah also has big dreams to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. She has a strong interest in her math and science classes and hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future. In her spare time, Sarah likes to bake and try new cooking recipes.
Brandy said of the quality of care at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, “It's just been so easy to have access to care. It is easy to make appointments, easy to reschedule, and the communication is there. The teams try to clump everything into one day so you can do everything in one place.” They also explained how wonderful it is to have POPS in the same building, so any and all adjustments to Sarah’s prosthetic leg are done in a timely manner. They appreciate the convenience of being able to attend all the appointments in one building. Sarah will continue to return to Shriners Children’s Philadelphia as needed for care.
Sarah’s maturity is beyond her years and her perspective on life is inspiring. She is determined to accomplish every goal she has in life, and we will be here cheering her on through it all!
