Sara Strugar

Sara is a woman who is always chasing adventures, bringing joy and laughter to everyone who is blessed with meeting her. She enjoys hiking, fishing, road trips in her truck, spending time with friends and hanging out with her brothers.  For the past three years, she has worked on the Bering Sea as a marine biologist and later as part of a ship crew. While out at sea, Sara became very ill.  On November 9, 2020 Sara was able to get in to see a doctor in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. During the appointment they discovered fluid in her chest and a collapsed lung. The clinic staff treated her there until the weather calmed enough to allow for travel.  When weather allowed, Sara was transferred to Anchorage on November 11th, where various tests were run. During this time, results showed a tumor of 13.9 centimeters located in her abdomen, below the diaphragm with part of it pressing on her heart. Doctors were able to put in a chest tube to drain fluid and give her the opportunity to breathe.  Doctors in Anchorage identified the tumor as a sarcoma, but the type had yet to be determined. A biopsy was sent to the Mayo Clinic and Sara was sent to a Sarcoma Center, OHSU, located in Portland, Oregon on Thanksgiving Day.  Sara waited for days and days for a diagnosis to be made as the tumor continued to grow. She was finally diagnosed with Spindle Cell Rhabdomyosarcoma. She was started on a routine chemotherapy treatment. It was ruled a failure when test results indicated the tumor had continued to grow an additional four centimeters after being originally identified. Her doctors have planned and are preparing for an intense regimen of chemotherapy followed by six weeks of daily radiation.  Even though the nature of the type of sarcoma is aggressive and fast moving, Sara has decided to fight through and kick this in the ass. Sara is making the choice daily to remain healthy and keep a positive attitude during this battle.  We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.