The Sara Brotherton Reward Room at WES
For Sara Brotherton, every child deserved encouragement, love, and the chance to learn, grow, and succeed. A Huntsville native, Huntsville High graduate, and lifelong educator, Sara dedicated her career to helping children reach their potential and celebrate their achievements along the way.
Sadly, Sara’s mission was cut short. She passed away on April 19, 2023, at the age of 43 following a courageous battle with cervical cancer. Today, Sara’s loved ones remember her most for the way she lived.
After she passed, her mother, Kay Brotherton, made donations to organizations and causes that she believed were close to her daughter’s heart. Children. And animals.
When Kay learned WellStone was building Huntsville’s only extended psychiatric care facility for youth in Madison County, she knew Sara would have cared deeply about this project.
Kay made a generous gift to the adolescent addition at WellStone Emergency Services (WES), and we named the Reward Room in Sara’s memory.
The Sara Brotherton Reward Room was created to do more than provide a place to play. It is a space where children can celebrate milestones, relax, and be recognized for the progress they make during treatment.
The room features an interactive game projected onto the floor, toys, and comfortable seating designed to help young clients feel encouraged and supported.
“Sara would be pleased to have the Reward Room given in her memory,” Kay said. “She believed that everyone needs a chance to achieve goals. And then they should be rewarded in a positive way.”
Sara carried this philosophy throughout her 17-year career as a special education teacher in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
Each school year, she emphasized goal setting with her students and kept a treasure chest in her classroom to encourage progress and celebrate achievements.
“Once a goal was achieved,” Kay explained, “the student could choose something from the treasure box. These were rewards that were not freely handed out but earned.”
From her years at Huntsville High School and Auburn University to her classroom and community, Sara made a lasting difference in the lives of countless children and families.
As a mother of six and an educator herself, Kay cares deeply about children and their well-being.
“I truly believe mental health is the #1 issue facing the world today,” she said.
Today, every child who earns time in the Reward Room experiences a small piece of Sara’s legacy.
Her encouragement, compassion, and belief in celebrating progress lives on through the children and families served at WES. As if Sara’s spirit is there, cheering them on and reminding them that healing, growth, and hope deserve to be celebrated.