Sarah’s Story

Founded in 2022, the SKANRF honors the memory of Sarah Jane Louise Kyle, a radiant soul who passed away at just 28 years of age, from the ravages of anorexia nervosa. Our mission stands as a beacon of hope and resilience, inspired by Sarah’s enduring spirit.

After a long battle which she fought to the last minute, Sarah Jane Louise Kyle succumbed to the sequelae of anorexia nervosa at 6:05 AM on the morning of November 3rd, 2016. Sadly, the septic shock that took her life appeared one day before Sarah was to start her recovery program at the Acute Center for Eating Disorders in Denver. We miss her every day.

Sarah was born at John Hopkins Hospital on May 5, 1988, and grew up in Catonsville, MD attending Hillcrest Elementary School, Catonsville Middle School, and Catonsville High School. She was always a straight-A student, participated in recreational soccer and basketball, and performed in many theater productions at the school and in summer camp.

In high school she took gifted and talented and advanced placement classes, attended Model United Nations, and excelled in Mock Trial. She volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and started the Young Democrats Club. Sarah always loved to dance and took classes in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance for many years and performed on the competitive dance team of Backstage Dance Studio in Columbia, MD. In her senior year, she received the Baltimore County Ethics award and graduated 4th in her class of 342 students. She was a National Merit Commended Scholar and Valedictorian of her class.

Sarah received her BA from George Washington University and her Master’s Degree in Biology and Education from the University of Maryland.

Sarah always loved teaching. During the summer breaks from school, she worked at a summer camp at sea in the Caribbean teaching scuba diving and sailing to young people. After college, she worked at the Little Gym teaching movement and gymnastics to children. Upon receiving her formal teaching degree, she taught biology and anatomy at Archbishop Carroll High School in D.C. where she was loved by students and faculty alike and soon became the Chair of the Science Department.

Sarah loved to travel with her family. She loved the water and had many sail/cruise trips to the British Virgin Islands, Tahiti, and Europe. Her favorite place to sail and dive was, without doubt, the Caribbean.

In her short 28 years of life, Sarah has Lived Strong and touched many lives, making the world a better place because of her love and generosity.