Sarah Wade is the wife of retired Army Sergeant Edward “Ted” Wade. Following the attacks of September 11, he was called on to serve first in Afghanistan and later in Iraq. On February 14, 2004, his humvee was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on a mission in Al Mahmudiyah. He sustained a severe TBI, suffered a transhumeral traumatic amputation, multiple fractured bones, soft tissue shrapnel injuries, and complications due to acute anemia, hypergycemia, and infections. Though SGT Wade remained in a coma for more two months, and withdrawal of life support was discussed, he made a remarkable recovery.
SGT Wade was one of the first major explosive blast polytrauma cases from Operation Iraqi Freedom that the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs had to treat. Sarah suspended her studies to serve as an advocate for her husband, since access to the necessary care often required intervention from the highest levels of government, or changes to federal law. In addition, she has acted as his primary caregiver and case manager for the last four years.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Sarah and Ted currently have a home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has moved around with her husband, who has been treated at eight medical facilities, since his evacuation to Germany.