Sarah Harter trusted her gut for two years before anyone believed her. Her daughter Mia survived brain surgery at age two and has been defying expectations ever since. This is their story — and the resources that helped them get here.
Some episodes stay with you.
This is one of them.
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Sarah Harter - mom, anesthetist, and one of the most determined advocates her daughter Mia has ever had - to share a story that is honest, hard, and ultimately full of hope.
Mia was born five weeks early. For two years, Sarah brought her concerns to doctor after doctor. She was told she was being a worried first-time mom. She kept showing up anyway. She was right.
At two years old, Mia was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a baseball. Five months after a 17-hour surgery, she started school. And the systems that were supposed to support her - medical and educational - both had to be pushed before they showed up the way she needed them to.
But this is not a story about what went wrong. It is a story about a family that refused to stop fighting - and the extraordinary things that happen when you do.
In this episode, Sarah and Karen talk honestly about:
- What it is like to be dismissed for years and then told your instincts were right all along
- How Mia went from not being able to walk after surgery to dancing on a team
- The difference between maintenance therapy and intensive therapy - and why that difference changed Mia's life
- What the school system got wrong about LRE and what the family did about it
- MNRI, vision therapy, NUCCA, and approaches that helped when standard care reached its limit
- What families of medically complex children are almost never told about related services
- Lighthouse Family Retreat - and why Sarah's family keeps going back to volunteer
- American Printing House for the Blind, free audiobooks for life, and resources too few families ever find
You do not need to have a child with a brain tumor to hear yourself in this conversation. If you have ever known something was wrong, and been told you were imagining it - this one is for you.
Resources:
Lighthouse Family Retreat: lighthousefamilyretreat.org
American Printing House for the Blind: aph.org
American Federation for the Blind: afb.org
Special Education Academy: specialeducationacademy.com
Epic IEP Book Bundle: theepiciep.com
Email Karen's team: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com
Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support)
✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨
👩⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.
👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy (https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/) First month free, after that, cancel anytime.
📱 Follow Karen on:
• TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss) & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy (https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos)
🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.
📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)
Because when...
Some episodes stay with you.
This is one of them.
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Sarah Harter - mom, anesthetist, and one of the most determined advocates her daughter Mia has ever had - to share a story that is honest, hard, and ultimately full of hope.
Mia was born five weeks early. For two years, Sarah brought her concerns to doctor after doctor. She was told she was being a worried first-time mom. She kept showing up anyway. She was right.
At two years old, Mia was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a baseball. Five months after a 17-hour surgery, she started school. And the systems that were supposed to support her - medical and educational - both had to be pushed before they showed up the way she needed them to.
But this is not a story about what went wrong. It is a story about a family that refused to stop fighting - and the extraordinary things that happen when you do.
In this episode, Sarah and Karen talk honestly about:
- What it is like to be dismissed for years and then told your instincts were right all along
- How Mia went from not being able to walk after surgery to dancing on a team
- The difference between maintenance therapy and intensive therapy - and why that difference changed Mia's life
- What the school system got wrong about LRE and what the family did about it
- MNRI, vision therapy, NUCCA, and approaches that helped when standard care reached its limit
- What families of medically complex children are almost never told about related services
- Lighthouse Family Retreat - and why Sarah's family keeps going back to volunteer
- American Printing House for the Blind, free audiobooks for life, and resources too few families ever find
You do not need to have a child with a brain tumor to hear yourself in this conversation. If you have ever known something was wrong, and been told you were imagining it - this one is for you.
Resources:
Lighthouse Family Retreat: lighthousefamilyretreat.org
American Printing House for the Blind: aph.org
American Federation for the Blind: afb.org
Special Education Academy: specialeducationacademy.com
Epic IEP Book Bundle: theepiciep.com
Email Karen's team: advocate@specialeducationacademy.com
Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2464872/support)
✨ When we get it right for the child, we get it right for everybody. ✨
👩⚖️ Hosted by Karen Mayer Cunningham, Advocate & Special Education Boss®
Each week, Karen shares real stories, legal insights, and no-nonsense strategies to help you navigate special education with clarity and confidence.
👉 Subscribe & never miss an episode — new episodes drop every week!
🎓 Join The Academy: Weekly live trainings + 250+ hours of advocacy tools & expert resources
🔗 Learn more at The Epic IEP™ Academy (https://academy.specialeducationacademy.com/theepiciep-courses/the-academy/) First month free, after that, cancel anytime.
📱 Follow Karen on:
• TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss) & Instagram: @specialeducationboss
• YouTube: Special Education Academy (https://www.youtube.com/c/SpecialEducationAcademy/videos)
🧠 Want to level up your advocacy game?
Check out the Advocate's Bookshelf — a curated collection of must-have tools, guides, and legal references every special education advocate should own. From federal code to diagnostic manuals, these are the essentials that help you advocate with clarity and confidence.
📚 Browse now: https://amzn.to/3RiQPLl
(As an Amazon Associate, Karen may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.)
Because when...