On Monday, July 1, 2024, Sarah Eng, age 21, along with several family and friends, will brave the 55°F waters of the San Francisco Bay to do the iconic open water swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. This is a serious endeavor for any athlete but made more impressive by the fact that just two years ago, Sarah was housebound, unable to stand upright for more than a few hours per day.
Sarah’s health odyssey started her sophomore year in high school. Overnight, she started to develop debilitating headaches, accompanied by severe vomiting and resulting dehydration. While Sarah had to drop out of school for 4 years and was largely housebound, she was an unwavering advocate for her own health, and remained positive and continued to do as much as her health would allow her.
Sarah saw countless specialists at world-leading institutions, and was diagnosed with POTS (positional orthopedic tachycardia syndrome) and hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), but still, no one could find the root cause of the headaches. Until someone referred her to Dr. Petra Klinge, neurosurgeon and world-recognized expert in spinal cord de-tethering. The Engs met with Dr. Klinge and were filled with hope when she told them, “I think I know what is wrong with Sarah and I think I can help you.”
The Engs traveled to Providence, Rhode Island for a consult with Dr. Klinge, and on June 27, 2022, Dr. Klinge completed neurosurgery to de-tether Sarah’s spine from her spinal cord. As Sarah regained strength, she started taking classes at the local community college, and got her drivers’ license. For exercise, she started swimming and ultimately transferred to University of Michigan as a chemistry major on the pre-med track, where she has just completed her first year.
The Engs credit Dr. Klinge with giving Sarah her life back, having a profound impact on Sarah and on their entire family. For this reason, they decided to make Sarah’s Alcatraz swim a fundraiser for Dr. Klinge’s research.
100% of funds raised will be used to support Dr. Klinge’s research. Dr. Klinge advocates for transitional clinical approaches, caring for patients with conditions such as Chiari disease and tethered cord syndrome from childhood through adulthood. Her current research has identified a spinal cord motion disorder, leading to a novel understanding of spine and spinal cord dysfunction in EDS. This ongoing research is complemented by advanced biomechanical studies in collaboration with engineers at Brown University, aiming to develop new treatment approaches, including specific neurosurgical procedures, to improve the health of EDS patients.
Thank you for your consideration in supporting Dr. Petra Klinge’s research as a gift on the milestone of Sarah and crew’s Alcatraz swim. Additionally, an anonymous donor will match any funds donated up to $12,500!
Rhode Island Hospital is a registered 501(c)(3) and receipts will be sent electronically to donors for tax purposes.