Zara's Story
Zara Jaclyn Manzur came into this world alongside her twin sister Suraya, and from her very first days she brought a joy that was impossible to contain. She had the most infectious smile and the chubbiest cheeks. You simply could not look at her without smiling back. She loved playing her little piano, swinging in her swing, and visiting the beluga whales at Mystic Aquarium. At the beach, the sound of the waves would lull her right to sleep.
In her short life, she was everything. A twin sister, a beloved daughter, and a little girl who lit up every room she entered.
Zara was also a fighter. Shortly after birth, she was diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder, a rare condition that affected her muscle tone, feeding, hearing, and development. From her very first weeks, she faced challenges that most of us will never know. But she never faced them alone.
In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, a nurse named Melissa was the first to truly see Zara. To understand her needs and wrap her family in the kind of support that made the impossible feel manageable. She was the first of many. Over the course of Zara's life, an extraordinary team of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other specialists became woven into the fabric of her family's world.
They didn't just treat Zara—they coached, guided, and loved an entire family through one of the hardest journeys.
Zara passed away before her second birthday. But the people who cared for her left a mark that will never fade.
About the Foundation
The Zara Manzur Foundation exists because of the healers. Zara and her family were fortunate to have access to some of the most skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals imaginable—and that access changed everything. The nurses who anticipated her needs before anyone else could. The physical and occupational therapists who showed her parents how to help her thrive. The speech-language pathologists and audiologists who worked tirelessly to help her communicate and connect. Without them, her family would have been lost. The Zara Manzur Foundation was start to honor every single one of them—and to make sure that more young people who feel called to this work can actually get there.
The Zara Manzur Foundation offers scholarships for current and graduating students from Groton, Connecticut who are pursuing careers in healthcare and rehabilitative fields; we offer annual scholarships to help close the gap between ambition and opportunity. Zara's light lives on in every healer we help get there.
The Zara Manzur Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Mystic, Connecticut. We are an all-volunteer organization—every dollar donated goes toward scholarships and our mission
Meet the Board
Allyson Manzur, Co-Founder
Allyson is proud to be a co-founder of the Zara Manzur Foundation. Living through all of Zara’s many specialist and therapy appointments she quickly learned what made a terrific doctor or therapist stand out.
Allyson is mom to Suraya and Zara, wife of Fahim. When Allyson isn’t reading, going to the beach, needlepointing or spending time with friends and family you can find her in her classroom! She teaches 6th grade Social Studies at Groton Middle School in Groton, CT. She is beginning her 19th year teaching, she has taught a variety of grades from 3rd through 7th.
Allyson’s background includes a Bachelors Degree in Geography & Elementary Education, Masters Degree in Special Education, and a 6th Year Certificate in Educational Leadership. Allyson spent time in the past volunteering with Girls on the Run of Southeastern CT, this is how she learned more about the ins and outs of Nonprofits, but also continued to help grow the local chapter which provides opportunities for girls to learn, grow and move their bodies.
She is passionate about helping others in many ways!
Fahim Manzur, Co-Founder
Fahim Manzur is a co-founder of the Zara Manzur Foundation and can’t imagine a better way to keep Zara’s memory alive than giving back to a profession’s and a community that helped her so much.
Fahim is Abbu (Dad in Bengali) to Suraya and Zara, husband of Allyson. Fahim has lived in Southeastern Connecticut since 2009 and enjoys visiting local breweries, traveling, golfing, and spending time with friends and family. During business hours, Fahim works as an Engineering Consultant for facility operations, design, commissioning, decommissioning, biosafety, and regulatory compliance.
Fahim’s background includes a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University (Go Terriers!) and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!). Fahim’s experience up until this point with non-profits has largely been on the participation side, but he is looking forward to getting involved with operations and management to ensure that the Zara Manzur Foundation can maximize its impact and in doing so, bring the profound impact Zara had on our family and everyone she met to a larger community.
Sarah Skinner, Board Member
Sarah received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 2007 and continued on to receive her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2014 from Sacred Heart University. She has been a physical therapist for more than 12 years, with the majority of her career spent working in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Through her work, she has developed a deep appreciation for the impact that compassionate healthcare professionals can have on patients and their families.
As a physical therapist and mother, Sarah is especially passionate about supporting students who are pursuing careers dedicated to helping others. She is proud to contribute her professional experience and personal commitment to The Zara Manzur Foundation and its mission to invest in the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Sarah lives in Groton, CT with her husband, Jeremy, their two young sons, Avery and Theodore and their dog Caleb. In her free time she loves to play beach volleyball at The Sandbox and ski in New Hampshire.
Casey Fisher, Board Member
Casey lives within a stone’s throw of the Manzur’s and is known as “Uncle Fish” to Zara and Suraya.
Casey has been active in the southeast Connecticut community for 15 years and is currently in engineering management. While he has limited experience in non-profit foundations, he is excited to embark on this new mission and is learning something new every day. He is honored to offer his experience and work ethic to the Zara Manzur Foundation in order to reward those individuals that want to pursue a career in healthcare, with the ultimate goal of bolstering an essential industry that provides a much needed support system for so many people.
Casey lives in Mystic, CT with his wife Megan. He spends his free time catching up with family and friends, golfing, and skiing.
Margaret Miller, Board Member
Margaret has known Fahim for nearly 20 years and has had the joy of watching him and Allyson build their family. Zara was a bright light for everyone lucky enough to know her.
Margaret is a global public health professional with fifteen years of experience across academia, corporations, and leading global health organizations. She currently serves as a Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, where she leads work tracking progress on global health and development.
Margaret holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Boston University, and a certificate in global health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
