Influencer Sara Bennett broadcasts her personal loss of life at age 39 nearly three years after she was identified with ALS
Popular influencer Sara Bennett has announced her own death at age 39, almost three years after she was diagnosed with ALS.
The mom-of-two had gained over 101,000 followers by documenting the harsh realities of living with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder under her brand Ananda Pivot.
An Instagram post shared on Tuesday from her official account confirmed her tragic passing.
‘In loving memory of Sarah Elizabeth Bennett,’ read a text overlay on a smiling photo of the social media star.
The caption was written by Bennett before her passing, and in it, she said that despite her ‘suffering,’ she was relieved she didn’t die ‘suddenly’ and was able to complete her bucket list first.
‘I am not in pain, or tired. I can laugh, talk and I can move,’ she wrote.
‘Reflecting in my last few months of my life, I am glad I didn’t go suddenly even WITH the suffering. I finished my list.
‘Even if you don’t believe in anything, I am feeding the earth and my tree. I loved this life, and am grateful for the time.’
Popular influencer Sara Bennett has announced her own death at age 39, almost three years after she was diagnosed with ALS
The mom-of-two had gained over 101,000 followers by documenting the harsh realities of living with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder
Bennett started her account in 2020 and it was originally designed to give organizing and home styling tips to others.
But in mid-2023, her content switched after she announced that she had been diagnosed with ALS.
In a video shared at the time, Bennett said that in March 202,2 she had developed ‘unexplained weakness in her right dominant hand.’
‘I was at [my job as a social studies teacher] and tried to close a binder clip and I couldn’t,’ she shared.
‘From there, my weakness and issues related to balance continued to progress.’
She said she underwent ‘months of testing’ and doctors initially believed she had cervical myelopathy – spinal cord compression of the neck – which led to her getting spinal surgery in September 2022.
‘Unfortunately, after surgery, my symptoms continued to progress and it became very clear that I did not have cervical myelopathy,’ she continued.
Bennett started her account in 2020 and originally, it was designed to give organizing tips to others. But in mid-2023 her content switched after she was diagnosed with ALS
An Instagram post shared on Tuesday from her official account confirmed her passing
She said she was ‘bounced around’ from hospital to hospital and saw over ’15 specialists’ before she finally got the official diagnosis of ALS in March 2023.
‘ALS is a fatal disease. It’s currently affecting my hands and arms, my walking, my feet, my breathing and my speech,’ she shared.
‘It will progress and will become more severe and my symptoms will become more noticeable over time.
‘It affects everyone different so there is little way to predict how quickly mine will progress or what muscle groups it will affect most. There’s no cure for this disease.’
At the time, she said she struggled to stand for long periods and had loss the use of her right hand. In addition, she said her left hand was ‘rapidly losing function.’
‘Although I have a very challenging path ahead of me, it’s important for me to stay busy and feel like I have purpose,’ she said, adding that she was hoping to find that through her social media.
‘I’m a teacher, my plan is to educate you,’ she said of her plan for her Instagram.
In another post from March 2024, Bennett admitted that she originally thought about deleting her Instagram after her ‘world was turned upside down’ from the diagnosis.
The caption was written by Bennett before her passing, and in it, she said that despite her ‘suffering,’ she was relieved she didn’t die ‘suddenly’ and was able to complete her bucket list
‘But… that would just be one more thing this disease was taking from me,’ she wrote.
‘I’m still here. I can still do something with this, just in a new way. I needed to pivot. And so, the Ananda Pivot was born.
‘Life will not always go as planned. In fact, it almost never does. When a pivot is required, even in the most devastating circumstances, the direction change doesn’t have to be all bad.
‘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.
‘Moving forward is not a choice, but moving forward in positivity (in a shifting, but upward direction like the center lines here indicate) is a choice.
‘Thank you for being here and walking this new path with me. Onward and upward, no matter what.’
