24 Oct Honoring a Light of Hope: Remembering Sarah Groom
One month ago today, we lost someone very special to the Pulaski County CASA family — Sarah Groom. Sarah spent years in foster care before being adopted shortly before she turned 18. Although not old enough to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate, she found other ways to support our work, and she quickly became a beloved part of our CASA family.
Each year at our Light of Hope Breakfast, we gather to celebrate stories — stories of resilience, healing, and transformation. We ask our guests not just to invest in CASA, but to invest in the lives behind those stories — children and youth whose journeys remind us why advocacy matters.
About five years ago, we shared one of those stories: the story of Sarah Groom.
That year, Sarah stood on our stage and spoke bravely to a room full of people about her experience in foster care, and we premiered her video, Sarah’s Story — a story we have shared countless times since.
Because we believe that stories matter, we want to share one more chapter of Sarah’s with you.
Sarah, the beloved daughter of Bruce and Xanthoula Groom, passed away on September 24, 2025, far too soon at the age of 24.
Sarah was a passionate advocate for children in foster care. CASA was deeply meaningful to her — it made a profound difference in her life and remained part of her story until the very end.
She spoke openly about her experiences, hoping that her story would help others. She participated in two CASA program videos — Sarah’s Story and Hard Work But Heart Work — and she lent her voice to several important training efforts.
Sarah participated in a recorded training called Through Our Eyes: A Look at Foster Care Through the Eyes of Those Who Experienced It, where she joined other young adults with lived experience to help child welfare professionals understand foster care from a youth’s perspective. She also allowed us to share part of her journey in another training, You, Me, and Gen Z, which focused on older youth in foster care and the challenges they face as they transition toward adulthood. This training has been shared locally and statewide.
In Through Our Eyes, Sarah reflected on one of the unexpected gifts that came from her foster care journey. She said that when she entered her adoptive home, she didn’t know what a healthy parent-child relationship looked like. But through her adoptive family, she learned — she experienced love and care in a new way. For the first time, she said, she felt what it was like to be taken care of instead of being the one taking care of someone else.
Sarah once said, “If not for my CASA, I would have never found my forever family. She was my voice in court, my constant, my mentor, and she always believed in me, encouraged me, and gave me hope.”
That CASA — Terry Gregory — remained a beloved presence in Sarah’s life. Terry walked beside Sarah through some of her hardest years, helping her find safety, stability, and ultimately, the family who would become her forever home. Their relationship was a living example of what CASA is meant to be: a consistent, caring, and steadfast presence for a child who needs an advocate to see their worth and help them believe in their future.
Adoption is a beautiful and powerful thing. We love seeing children who are unable to return home find permanency through adoptive families. We are so thankful that Sarah found that kind of love and belonging with the Grooms.
But as Sarah’s family deeply understands, adoption does not erase biological family, nor does it wipe away the trauma of a difficult past. Both Sarah’s adoptive family and her biological family were profoundly important to her. She worked tirelessly to heal, to forgive, and to break free from the pain that followed her. Her journey reminds us that even after adoption, the impact of trauma remains — and so does the need for understanding, compassion, and continued support.
Our hearts ache with Sarah’s loss, but we take comfort in knowing how brightly she shone. She was a fierce advocate, a courageous voice, and a Light of Hope for so many others.
Sarah’s story continues to inspire us to do what CASA does best — to walk alongside children in foster care, to lift their voices, and to help them find the safety and permanency they deserve.
We invite you to take some time to revisit Sarah’s legacy through the videos and trainings she helped create:
Through Our Eyes: A Look at Foster Care Through the Eyes of Those Who Experienced It
We will always remember Sarah — her laughter, her directness, her spunk, her compassion for others, her strength, and her light. She was, and remains, a Light of Hope.
Learn More About Sarah by reading her obituary below:
Sarah Faith Groom was born on March 12th, 2001, and departed this earth on September 24th,2025. Sarah’s love for driving and traveling was reflected in the countless miles she accumulated on her vehicles. Her fondness for flowers and all shades of pink and burgundy was a defining characteristic. She was an avid reader and Harry Potter fan.
Sarah was a fiercely loyal friend, devoted to those she loved and quick to forgive the people she loved. Her innate sense of compassion compelled her to assist those in need. Although petite in stature, she made up for it with grit and stubbornness. One word to encapsulate her essence was feisty!
Sarah held a special place in her heart for children who have experienced trauma and are in foster care. She lent her voice to causes advocating for such children with a particular fondness for the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA). As a speaker at CASA events and participant in video productions, Sarah hoped to utilize her life experiences and insights to highlight the necessity for more individuals to foster, adopt, and advocate.
We are deeply grieved by our loss of Sarah, but we are grateful she is in the arms of the Heavenly Father.
She leaves behind her mother, Donna Moore, brothers, Sterling Edwards (wife Madison and nephew Saxon), Michael Duncan (nieces Dezirae and Izabella), Johnny Duncan (niece Aurora), and Dustin Moore. Cousins Brianna McDaniel (Amiyah and Alayah), Whitney Truitt (Elijah, Phoenix, and Ollie), and Corey Moss, Nana, Theresa Duncan Gunderman, Aunt, Sarah Hatch (Jill Emery).
She leaves behind her adoptive family, her parents, Bruce and Xanthoula Groom, sisters, Natalie and Veronica Groom, brother, Nathan Groom, niece, Mariah Groom, and nephew, Xander Groom. Aunt and uncle, Katerina and Nickolaos Zafiriou, cousins Savvas and Romanos Zafiriou, Aunt, Sylvie Evdoxiadis, uncle, Erastos Evdoxiadis, and cousins, Celeste and Theo Evoxiadis. Aunts and uncles, Tony and Janet Groom, Stan and Monica Groom, Tom and Rita Sebranek, and numerous cousins.
She leaves behind her special friends, Court Appointed Special Advocate, Terry Gregory, and former Family Service Worker, Crystal Bradley.
She is preceded in death by her aunt, Shonda Duncan, her Papa, John Duncan, maternal grandmother Joanne Haywood, maternal grandparents Bobbis and Mary Evdoxiadis, and paternal grandmother, Shirley Groom.
Sarah’s family requests donations be made to Pulaski County Friends of CASA in her memory.
Angie Jones is the Executive Director for Pulaski County CASA. Angie has been involved with CASA programs for more than 10 years. She has a heart for teenagers in foster care and has worked in conjunction with Pulaski County CASA on training protocols for working with teenagers. Angie was able to work with Sarah when she was in foster care as the Advocate Supervisor on Sarah’s case, and felt blessed to continue to be a small part of Sarah’s life over the last six years.
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