I’m Sara. An engineer and adjunct STEM Faculty. And Breast Implant Illness Survivor whose textured tissue expanders and saline breast implants used after my mastectomy were finally recalled in 2019.
I am a Life After Explant Ambassador and follower of the Breast Implant Safety Alliance (BISA). Another engineering faculty challenged me to own my disability story saying faculty and students need disabled role models. I have become a frequent conference presenter on disability inclusion and chronic illness at Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering and advocate for access to rare disease research at Hopkins Medical. I serve on a number of disability advocacy committees and am active on social media speaking out on equitable access to STEM and Medicine. I have only recently begun sharing the backstory on why I have a disability due to ongoing bias and stigma.
My goal is empower women to recognize that BII is a legitimate medical condition, so stand tall, lose the shame, and advocate for others. Because as BISA says, “Knowledge is Beautiful” and women and their families deserve to know.
