Sarah: How Multiple Sclerosis Taught Me to Find Freedom in Stillness and Advocacy

Sarah Thomas
2026 Infusion Access Foundation Champion
A story about living with multiple sclerosis

Before her diagnosis, Sarah was always in motion—a ballet dancer, tennis player, and climber who believed that hard work could overcome any physical obstacle. That illusion was stripped away in a matter of days in 2011. After experiencing blurred vision and weakness, an MRI revealed lesions on her brain. Within weeks, the athlete who once ran stairs at the track found herself in a hospital bed, unable to stand. This terrifying moment of losing control forced Sarah to surrender to a new reality and trust that healing doesn’t always look like movement; sometimes, it looks like stillness.

While Sarah’s diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) came quickly, her battle for stability has been a long-term fight against the healthcare system. She has faced the grueling “wait game” of Prior Authorizations and Step Therapy, where insurance companies required her to “fail” on medications that weren’t the best fit before allowing her to access the therapy her neurologist prescribed. Sarah knows firsthand that MS doesn’t wait for paperwork, and these administrative delays are not just stressful—they are dangerous. The out-of-pocket costs for MRIs and specialty infusions have added a heavy financial and emotional toll to a journey that already requires immense resilience.

Today, Sarah has transformed her diagnosis into a platform for empowerment. As the founder of 365 Yoga Dream and author of Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Pain, she helps others with mobility limitations find joy in their own bodies. Whether she is defying gravity in an aerial hammock or competing on the tennis court, she no longer judges success by consistency, but by presence. As an MS Ambassador and District Leader working with the Infusion Access Foundation, Sarah is a fierce advocate for legislation that caps out-of-pocket costs and protects patients from the barriers that stand between them and their life-altering care.

"For me, one of the greatest challenges in managing my MS has been the constant delays and denials when trying to access the treatments I need. There have been times when my doctor and I agreed on the right disease-modifying therapy, only to wait weeks—or even months—for insurance approval. I’ve personally been required to go through step therapy, where I had to try medications that weren’t the best fit for my condition before being allowed to take the one my doctor knew would help. Those waiting periods were incredibly stressful, especially knowing that MS doesn’t wait—it progresses." - Sarah