Sara Bennett left her loved ones with a heartfelt message. Nearly three years after being diagnosed with ALS, the influencer and advocate has passed away, announcing her own death on social media. She was just 39.
"I am not in pain, or tired. I can laugh, talk, and I can move," Sara wrote in the caption of her January 13th Instagram post alongside a remembrance card and photo. "Reflecting on my last few months of life, I am glad I didn't go suddenly even WITH the suffering. I finished my list."
Referencing what she often referred to online as "the after," the 39-year-old added, "Even if you don't believe in anything, I am feeding the earth and my tree. I loved this life, and I am grateful for the time."
After originally launching her social media presence as The Ananda Edit to promote her "hobby turned side hustle" of lifestyle organization, Sara updated her name to The Ananda Pivot after her March 2023 ALS diagnosis. In the years since, she shared videos of herself advocating for ALS awareness and embracing life with her husband Rusty and their sons Lincoln, 9, and William, 7.
"When a pivot is required, even in the most devastating circumstances, the direction change doesn't have to be all bad," she wrote to Instagram in May 2024. "We can and should mourn what was not and what will never be, but at the same time, I need to make the best of a terrible hand."
Toward the end of her life, Sara prepared for "the after" by holding an end-of-life ceremony and writing out traditions for each holiday, all of which she delegated to friends and family to keep her "special people connected" and give her husband "extra support."
Meanwhile, she also shared elsewhere how, despite the disease that took "SO much" from her, she was proud to have used her voice to help others.
"My platform gave me the chance to keep using my voice, to continue teaching, and to help others," Sara wrote in a November 6th blog on Her ALS Story. "I was intentional and turned my unfathomable sorrow into late-night brainstorms. I used my account to cope, to create, and it's a piece of my life worth mentioning."
"I am so thankful, and I never should have had the opportunity to make an account about my journey as a dying mom," she added. "Be good to each other and love the s--t out of your life."
