A Minnesota toddler who has defied expectations since before she was born has been named the 2026 Toddler of the Year.
Sarah McNamara, a 3-year-old from St. Cloud, Minnesota, was selected as this year’s winner after a national competition. She will receive a $25,000 prize, appear in a national advertising campaign and take part in the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
For her mother, Amber Traxler, the recognition carries a much deeper meaning.
When Traxler was pregnant with Sarah, doctors warned that her daughter might not survive the pregnancy or birth. Sarah had been diagnosed with thanatophoric dysplasia Type 1, a rare genetic skeletal disorder that can cause severe complications involving bone growth and breathing.
Instead of the outcome doctors feared, Sarah has continued reaching milestones that once seemed unlikely.
“She’s hope,” Traxler said, describing what her daughter’s journey has come to represent for their family and others living with the condition.
A diagnosis with a difficult prognosis
Thanatophoric dysplasia is a rare skeletal disorder caused by changes involving the FGFR3 gene. The condition affects bone development and is generally considered one of the most severe skeletal dysplasias.
Medical references estimate that thanatophoric dysplasia occurs in roughly 1 in 20,000 to 50,000 newborns. Most affected infants experience severe respiratory problems shortly after birth because of complications including a small chest cavity and underdeveloped lungs.
Long-term survival is rare, although medical literature has documented a small number of people with the condition who survived well beyond infancy.
Sarah’s experience is among those unusual cases.
Traxler has previously described how difficult the pregnancy was after Sarah’s diagnosis. Doctors gave the family a bleak outlook, but she continued looking for information about children who had survived the disorder.
“I said, whether she lives or she doesn’t, that’s going to be up to her, but I’m going to do everything that I can to make it possible for her to have a longer life,” Traxler said.
Sarah keeps reaching new milestones
Now 3 years old, Sarah continues to surprise her family with her progress.
She can hold a bottle and eat by mouth, and her family is working toward another major milestone: walking.
Sarah’s daily life also includes plenty of ordinary toddler interests. Her official Toddler of the Year profile describes her as energetic and playful, with a fondness for mirrors, swinging, stroller rides, toys and sweets.
She continues to receive medical care in Minnesota, including checkups at Gillette Children’s.
Her journey has also brought attention to a condition that many people have never heard of.
For Traxler, raising awareness about thanatophoric dysplasia is an important part of Sarah’s story. The family hopes her experience can offer encouragement to other families facing a diagnosis that can initially seem overwhelming.
From St. Cloud to Hollywood
Sarah’s national title will take her beyond Minnesota.
As the 2026 Toddler of the Year, she is set to receive the competition’s $25,000 grand prize and take part in a national campaign. She is also scheduled to have a role in the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
The competition is connected to a fundraising effort benefiting the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Organizers say the 2026 campaign raised more than $4.5 million to support its work helping children during the holiday season.
For Sarah’s family, however, the biggest reward is not the crown or the national spotlight.
It is the opportunity to show how far their daughter has come.
Before Sarah was born, her family was preparing for the possibility that they might never get to watch her grow up. Today, she is a 3-year-old celebrating a national title, making progress of her own and preparing for a trip to Hollywood.
And her family is looking ahead to the next milestone.
