Cloud 3-year-old defies long odds of rare disease

Sarah McNamara, a three-year-old from St. Cloud, is defying a rare fatal diagnosis after being born with thanatophoric dysplasia (TD), a severe skeletal disorder found in about 1 in 20,000 children. Her mother, Amber Traxler, says doctors told her that a TD pregnancy had a high chance of stillbirth or death shortly after birth, citing risks including respiratory failure. After an anatomy scan at 22 weeks suggested fatal disease, Traxler underwent blood tests confirming Sarah has TD type 1. Despite the grim odds, Sarah “Sarah’s Strength” has become a story of survival and visibility online, sharing trips to the zoo and aquarium. On Sept. 4, she was named the second annual Toddler of the Year by Colossal and presented by Hasbro, winning after nine rounds of voting from June 25 to Aug. 20 among more than 117,000 entrants.