02/13/2012 0 Comments Contact Our News Editors

Sometimes a stranger has an uncanny ability to understand your feelings better than anyone else. For Stamford native Sara Bromley, singer-songwriter Fiona Apple filled those shoes.

When Apple released her third album “Extraordinary Machine” in 2005, she certainly did not have MS in mind. The first track, which features the same name, addresses Apple’s struggle to feel like herself again after the end of a long-term relationship. Sara Bromley wasn’t going through a breakup at the time, but Fiona Apple’s words seemed to resonate with her deeper than any other song she had heard before.

But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so I can't stop changing all the time

Bromley, who has lived with multiple sclerosis since her diagnosis in 2006, was planning to participate in her first Walk MS. However, after a rough adjustment period, she was secretly hesitant to jump back into the mix of life.

“It took a few years before I even wanted to do anything,” Bromley confesses.

That is when she heard “Extraordinary Machine” on the radio.

“But when I heard that song, I was overcome with such motivation and strength. Every word seemed to be written just for me,” Bromley remembers.

Since that moment, Bromley decided to let go of her inhibitions and walk for MS, and for herself. That day her team became known as “Extraordinary Machine,” and has been ever since.

Simply walking each year would be considered a small feat in and of itself for Bromley, who lives each day with the chronic pain and fatigue, which stems from her MS, but her participation goes far beyond one day a year.