My mom, Sara Elisa Sanchez, is 58 years old and the heart of our family. She is funny, peaceful, stubborn in the way only strong women are, and incredibly resilient. She has always met life with quiet strength, a sharp sense of humor, and deep love for her children.

Sara’s life story is one of perseverance. She became a single teenage mother to two children and refused to let that define or limit her future. While raising her babies, she earned her GED, completed technical school, and worked tirelessly to provide for her family. Later in life, she met the father of her three youngest children, and that is how our mama bear became a proud mother of five. Her children have always been her greatest joy and her greatest purpose.

She found happiness in simple, beautiful things. Spending time with her kids, shopping with her daughter Samantha, creating diamond art, and cuddling her beloved dog Spirit. Those moments brought her peace, even through the hardest seasons of her life.

This is Sara’s fourth battle with cancer. She survived cervical cancer, parathyroid cancer, and breast cancer. Nearly two years ago, she was diagnosed with AML. She fought with courage and determination through treatments and clinical trials, traveling across California for care at Clovis Community, Stanford, and City of Hope. There were countless hospital stays, long drives, exhausting days, and moments of hope and heartbreak. Throughout it all, her children and sisters stepped in to support her every step of the way. Her daughter Samantha became her primary caregiver, with all of us doing everything we could to surround her with love.

Despite everything, Sara has remained grounded in faith and peace. She believed in Christianity while also living by many Buddhist principles, especially acceptance, compassion, and presence. She taught us how to be strong and gentle at the same time.

We have now reached a place where there are no more treatments available. As her children, we are honoring her wishes and walking with her through this final chapter with as much love, dignity, and grace as possible. We are heartbroken, fragile, and doing our best to be brave for her.

We are asking for help to cover her final expenses, including cremation services. The funds raised will go directly toward removal, refrigeration, transportation to the cremation center, the death certificate, and an urn. Our goal is $4,600, which will allow us to honor her wishes and ease this burden during an incredibly painful time.

If you are able to donate, share, or hold our family in your prayers, we are deeply grateful. Your kindness helps us focus on what matters most right now, loving our mom and saying goodbye with peace and dignity.

Thank you for being part of her story.