Sara' Story
Sara Zuleta-Acosta's life was a tapestry woven with love and adventure. She nurtured a profound connection with her family and cherished friendships, many dating back to elementary school. Alongside her life partner, Bryan, and their beloved dog, Barkley, she crafted a life rich in experiences and joy.
In the fall of 2019, a shower led Sara to discover a lump in her breast. Just two weeks later, she faced a daunting diagnosis: Stage III Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Undeterred, Sara refused to let cancer overshadow her identity. Her spirit remained unbroken as she continued to embrace life, from skiing slopes to mastering the art of wine, and exploring the beauty of Northern California.
The fall of 2022 brought a heart-wrenching turn: after a year of no evidence of disease, Sara's cancer resurfaced in her lung, this time with a terminal prognosis. Yet, Sara faced this challenge with indomitable spirit. She embraced her final year, creating lasting memories with Bryan, her dearest friends, and family. Sara even danced with fearless joy at Movement Detroit, her most cherished music festival, one final time. Despite her extraordinary resilience, her battle ended just a month before her 32nd birthday.
In honor of Sara's unwavering spirit, Sara Strong is being launched. She embodied resilience and determination, qualities that continue to inspire us in our mission.
Sara never quit fighting and neither will we.
Our Mission
In Sara's memory we are committed to improving outcomes for patients fighting Triple Negative Breast cancer. In partnership with the TNBC Foundation our first step is to raise $100,000 for a research grant in Sara's name. Ultimately, our goal is to help ensure every patient receives timely, effective care to beat TNBC.
Sara’s Wisdom
Sara shared that her battle with breast cancer endowed her with clarity and perspective beyond her years. She’d want you to take the following to heart.
- Your Body: Take care of your body! This might sound obvious, but we often fail to appreciate what our body does for us until it's engaged in a real fight. Simply moving it each and every day is a privilege, so take advantage of it. Finally, don't be too hard on your body or yourself. Believe me, when you're fighting for your life, those extra 5 lbs or whatever else seems important today won't matter.
- Your Strength: You never truly know your strength until having no other choice. Push yourself, fight for what you want, and use that strength and courage in all aspects of your life. I assure you, you're stronger than you believe.
- Gratitude: Take more time to practice gratitude. Many of us take so much for granted – our health, family, relationships – and we worry about the trivial things! Ultimately, all we have is our health and the people who love us. Enjoy all the moments you have, big and small, because they make up the memories you’ll cherish down the road.
On the cancer front, Sara would like you to know…
Pinkwashing in Breast Cancer Campaigns: During her journey, Sara encountered "pinkwashing" – the use of breast cancer themes in marketing that may lack genuine commitment to the cause. She advocated for informed support and recommended asking these questions before donating:
- "How much of my contribution goes to breast cancer research?"
- "Which specific organizations benefit from these funds?"
- "Do the actions of this company reflect their breast cancer awareness campaigns?"
The Susan G. Komen Foundation: A Critical Perspective: Sara was critical of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a well-known entity in breast cancer advocacy, mainly due to:
- Funds Allocation: Despite its fame, only about 13% of raised funds go to research, treatment, and screening. Much of the rest is used for marketing and the commercialization of the cause.
- Executive Pay: The foundation's priority on high executive salaries, with their CEO earning over $720,000, raised concerns about their true priorities.
- Questionable Partnerships: Some of the Foundation's partnerships seemed more financially driven rather than truly supporting breast cancer patients.
Rather than supporting the Susan G Komen foundation, Sara chose to support the work of foundations like METAvivor and the TNBC Foundation for their more direct impact on breast cancer patients, despite their lesser-known status.
Understanding Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC): Sara battled TNBC, an aggressive breast cancer subtype without three common receptors. Accounting for 10-15% of cases, it's more challenging to treat and has a higher risk of early recurrence. Sara emphasized the need for greater awareness and research, especially as TNBC disproportionately affects younger women.
Fighting Cancer: Sara found TheCancerPatient’s Instagram page to be a valuable resource for non-cancer patients to understand the realities of living with cancer. Its satirical yet honest portrayal offers a unique perspective into the daily challenges faced by cancer thrivers, helping others to comprehend and empathize with their journey.
A Stroll for Sara:
A Stroll for Sara began as an idea to welcome our friend Sara back home to Ann Arbor, that grew into a movement of hope.
The inaugural Stroll for Sara walk happened in June 2023, where we walked 2.7 miles (highlighting the age Sara was when she was first diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer) to benefit the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. This fundraiser raised over $50,000 that directly went to research in Triple Negative Breast Cancer, also referred to as TNBC.
Reminiscent of Sara’s spirit in taking the time to stop and enjoy the little things in life, we chose to do a stroll as a stroll allows us all to appreciate everything in the moment - a lasting lesson Sara has left us. We encourage all - no matter your physical ability - to join our stroll and make a difference.
The future goals of a Stroll for Sara will include raising funds for breast cancer research, with a focus on TNBC and Metastatic Cancer.
We will continue to hold this stroll annually in the early summer, a time of year Sara truly loved.
Join us in the early Summer for a Stroll for Sara, where we will walk 3.2 miles in memory of Sara, to benefit causes that were important to her; and to continue to raise much needed funds to support research in the fight against breast cancer. - Olivia Chadwick, friend and organizer
Stay Tuned for Sara's Stroll
Fighting in Sara's Name
The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation was a foundation close to Sara's heart. During her four year battle with TNBC she made connections with other TNBC patients through the foundation.
Originally founded in 2006 in honor of Nancy Block-Zenna, a young woman who was diagnosed at age 35 with triple negative breast cancer and passed away two and a half years later in 2007. In response to Nancy’s diagnosis, her close friends launched the TNBC Foundation to raise awareness and support research in the area of triple negative breast cancer.
In that same spirit, Sara's surviving partner Bryan joined the TNBC Foundation's board in the spring of 2024. By working with an established foundation that is solely focused on supporting those fighting TNBC, Bryan believes he can make the largest possible impact for for those impacted by triple negative breast cancer.
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Stay in the know on the latest updates and our next Stroll!