Sarah is an inspirational 13 year-old-young lady with cystic fibrosis, diabetes and Crohns Disease. Despite her illnesses, Sarah is a competitive skier and the winner of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award for the three years it was offered in her school district. She is also a member of Xtreme Athletes against Drugs & Tobacco (www.xtremeathletes.us) an organization focusing on educating young people about the dangers of smoking and of illegal drug use.

Sarah also works to educate others about the illnesses she lives with every day. This year, she participated in a press conference about preferred drug lists in NJ and reached out to the Governor. In addition, she maintains a website, www.sarahyourman.com, which includes tips for newly diagnosed families about living with cystic fibrosis and diabetes.

Sarah also had other remarkable achievements in the last year. She was named one of the "Heroes of Hope" and an "Everyday Hero" by two pharmaceutical companies and teamed up with her brother Jeffrey (who also has cystic fibrosis) to show others how one drug has made a difference in their lives.

Sarah lives life faster and with more enthusiasm than a normal person because she lives for today and does not think about what tomorrow will bring. In this way, Sarah is teaching others that people with life-threatening illnesses don't have to stop living – something she learned from her grandmother, who was a 20-year survivor of ovarian cancer. Sarah maintains a continuing effort to demonstrate this within the CF and diabetes communities.

Though she is only 13, Sarah already has much experience dealing with public situations. This has given her exceptional poise and self-confidence in dealing with large groups of people and being in the spotlight . She is a great role model for children and adults living with a chronic illnesses or disability.

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