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Formost of Rachel Myers’ childhood and young adulthood, one thing has dominated the life of the gradating Lakehill Preparatory senior: her little sister, Sarah.

Rachel was 3 years old when Sarah was born. As she walked through the hospital, the new big sister eagerly demanded, “Where’s my baby?” over and over again. But when Rachel saw Sarah for the first time, she found her baby sister didn’t look like the other babies she had seen.

Sarah was born with Char Syndrome, a condition that affects the development of the face, heart and limbs. She was covered in tubes and other medical devices as doctors worked to save her life. Baby Sarah was launched into a series of surgeries, and when she wasn’t in the hospital, her condition required round-theclock care, which kept Rachel’s mother, Lori, on constant nurse duty.

The Myers family was forever changed.

“When you have a sick child who requires as much attention as Sarah, you worry about your other children and how they’ll handle it,” Lori explains. “That’s a big fear when all you can do is sit and watch your kid struggle and you can’t help them. Like, ‘You’re on your own. Good luck with that test.’ ”

In a world where “helicopter parenting” is the new normal, Rachel spent much of her childhood fending for herself. When she was 5, her youngest sister, Emma, was born. Because Sarah was so sick, Rachel often helped her mother care for Emma. “Family vacations” were trips to Corpus Christi for surgery, and most family activities revolved around Sarah’s illness in some way.

Rachel went through phases of craving adult attention, which she eventually channeled into sports. She immersed herself in softball, cheer, track and swimming. She became incredibly competitive, both academically and athletically.

“Outside of the home, being able to focus and strive and succeed at something different, it was a distraction, almost,” Rachel explains.

The Myers family also became involved in Night Owls through Highland Park United Methodist Church, which is a faith-based respite program for children with special needs and their siblings.

“I’ve met so many great families and adults,” Rachel explains, “like volunteers and therapists who’ve helped me through when I’m annoyed with [Sarah], when she’s hurting us because she’s hurting and coping with the struggles of all that.”

Because of her syndrome, Sarah lives in constant pain, and sometimes she acts out by hitting, kicking and biting her family members or anyone who happens to be nearby. She usually targets people who are smaller than her, so because Rachel is bigger, Rachel is able to help Lori calm Sarah down.

“As a family we divide and conquer,” Lori says. Rachel and Lori recall a particularly bad day for Sarah during a recent visit to Matt’s Rancho Martinez in Lakewood. When Sarah started throwing a fit, Lori kept Sarah from hitting her head on the concrete sidewalk while Rachel ran to get the car. Together, they managed to drag Sarah into it.

“I was crying,” Lori remembers. “Any other teenager would be looking around to see who’s staring, but Rachel just jumps in and helps. When I’m not doing OK, she can step in until I can gain my composure. With Sarah and her aggressiveness, it’s very emotionally tolling, and watching your child suffer, you can only do so much for so many days. So Rachel has helped a lot.”

Despite the many challenges and sacrifices, Rachel says Sarah’s illness also has had positive effects on her and her family.

“It’s made us closer,” Rachel says. “I’m a very family-oriented person because you have to be. You can’t have someone in the family who can’t help when the situation needs it.”

Her relationship with her sister also has taught her how to interact with people with special needs, which has greatly impacted her future plans.

In the fall, Rachel will attend Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo. She was accepted to a six-and-a-half year, direct-entry physical therapy program. She plans to become a pediatric physical therapist, and she hopes to work with people with special needs.

She thinks physical therapy will provide a good balance of the passions and skills she has developed over the years, such as empathy, athleticism and personal drive.

“It was one of those things that when people asked me, ‘What are you going to do with your life?’ I knew what I was going to say,” Rachel says. “I didn’t even have to think about it. It just felt right.”

Though Lori worried over the years about her oldest daughter’s development, today she believes Rachel is proof that a family illness can shape siblings into better people.

“It’s so great to see that a sibling can turn out amazing,“ Lori says, “and she is.”