Sarah Crane COPYRIGHTED We are improving veterans’ quality of life with HBOT. It’s shown to reduce anxiety, depression, insomnia, brain fog and increase energy. 88 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2020</strong> | www.<strong>Atlantic</strong><strong>Ave</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.com
egulars | city people by diane feen | Photo by Melissa korman Making A Difference One Day At A Time Like Santa Claus, Sarah Crane came from a faraway land bringing gifts to distribute. Unlike the traditional ones under the tree hers are more subtle in nature, yet equally as profound in their entirety. As the Executive Director at Help Our Wounded (HOW) Foundation, Crane tends to those with brain or concussive injuries. Her impact on this segment of this population is to make sure they have access to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. This lofty goal is the center of her universe, yet there are many other planets in her social and philanthropic orbit. They range from the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce to Impact 100 PBC, Palm Health Foundation’s Brain Advisory Council, Old School Square and beyond. To categorize this young woman is a fools’ errand. She is an accomplished singer and actress and can be seen belting out the National Anthem on St. Patrick’s Day at various Veterans events in Palm Beach County and Virginia. She’s also the consummate volunteer, coordinating and shaping up various activities around town. “I am a compulsive volunteer,” said Crane, who seems much older than her 33 years. Crane moved to Delray Beach six years ago after getting a Masters Degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University College London in the UK. She also received a Masters Degree in Business from FAU. Though she is a woman of the world, Crane was born in Connecticut and raised in Virginia. Her grandmother, who has a winter home in Delray Beach, was her biggest influence growing up. And her biggest inspiration for helping veterans or civilians seek medical help with HBOT treatments. “My grandmother Maggie has been getting Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments for over 20 years and it helped her stay sharp, energetic and improves her health. My great uncle was a veteran and suffered from PTSD. My grandmother saw him suffering and felt so helpless to stop it.” When Maggie discovered the miracles of HBOT treatment it was a life affirming dream. She then created the non-profit HOW Foundation that her granddaughter has continued to keep at the forefront of hope for those with TBI and PTSD. “We are improving veterans’ quality of life with HBOT. It’s shown to reduce anxiety, depression, insomnia, brain fog and increase energy. Patients come to us with a backpack full of medication and after they go through the program their medication is reduced or safely eliminated,” said Crane. But it’s not just veterans that are benefiting from the HOW Foundation. It’s also equestrians, car accident victims and athletes. Crane (and her team) just gave a presentation at the Winter Equestrian Festival about concussions, brain injury and HBOT treatment. HOW was selected to compete in the Great Charity Challenge at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center <strong>February</strong> 1st. When not working at HOW Crane can be seen helping out at a myriad of places. She was front center at the Sand Sculpting Contest on Delray beach July 4th, she co-founded the Foundation for Collective Impact (that raised money and sent emergency items to the Bahamas after the hurricane) and was a grant reviewer for Impact 100 PBC. After meeting this energetic do-gooder, one has to wonder – what is her motivation? “My desire to help people was definitely influenced by my grandmother. She was involved in environmental and wildlife conservation and never backed down from a challenge. Even as a kid I used to act as a peacekeeper. I would negotiate between two different points of view and create a unique solution.” It seems that Crane continues this tradition today. Her work at the Delray Chamber of Commerce has ranged from Nonprofit Council, to Board Member and Ambassador. Stephanie Immelman, President and CEO of the Chamber is in awe of this young woman’s devotion to those around her. “Sarah approaches everything she is involved in with thoughtfulness, insight and wisdom beyond her years. I’ve been lucky to work with Sarah Crane in many capacities.” Though she prefers to stay under the radar, Crane has been noticed as if she were a Phoenix rising in the morning sun. She was nominated by the media as one of five working women to improve the quality of life in Delray, and she was nominated for Business Person of the Year in 2018 by the Delray Chamber. Though she describes herself as a plucky philanthropic country mouse who travels the world with a dachshund, her history shows a fascination with human behavior. She got a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. While there she excelled in graduate courses such as Biopsychology, Advanced Child Psychopathology and Adult Psychopathology. “I love to see what’s happening in the brain and how it affects behavior,” she adds. Her friend Gregg Weiss has observed Crane’s behavior and is happy to report that she is as genuine and selfless as she appears. “I always knew there was something special about Sarah. She is one of the rare souls who delivers what she sets out to do. She is a big visionary and she’s tenacious. Sarah does things because she’s passionate about them, not for the glory.” One of the things that she is passionate about is singing. As a child she sang all the time and rumor has it she sang in her sleep. In high school she volunteered to sing at a retirement home every week. “I would sing the classics - like Gershwin, Porter, Sondheim - and residents who attended would sometimes end up crying. That memory, and that release and joy of connection, is what kept me coming back to sing for them.” It’s also what brings her to events around town where she belts out a Broadway caliber voice that will have you thinking, ‘doesn’t this woman belong on the stage?’ Perhaps she does. But for now, all the world is her stage. “I try to use my gifts to help others and make the world a better place.” A good place to start! COPYRIGHTED www.<strong>Atlantic</strong><strong>Ave</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.com | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2020</strong> | 89
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