This fundraiser is for Sarah Liners who is having a medical emergency and is asking for financial support to cover a minimum four month’s lost wages plus unexpected costs in relation to her care while she undergoes surgery and begins the long road to recovery.

I am Sybl Amy Saisselin, Sarah’s wife (registered domestic partner) of 22 years and I have set up this fundraiser at Sarah's request. (That's me on the left)

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Sarah is having Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft surgery and needs your help

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Medical TLDR: (please see below for longer version of medical events)

On September 12, Sarah had a massive heart attack caused by a ruptured vessel. On that day, Sarah coded three times, was brought back three times with difibrulation, and had two stents put in. During the procedures, surgeons noticed severe weakness in vessels on the other side heart, likely due to radiation treatment in 2003. The doctors won’t let her go until they can fix it. She is currently awaiting completion of all pre-surgical tests before surgery is scheduled.

Post-surgical recovery will take several months, during which time Sarah will not be able to work. The good news is that Sarah’s medical costs are well covered by my employment at the County of Santa Clara Animal Services Center (animal shelter).

This call for help has been set up to replace the expected four month’s lost income and to cover unexpected costs in relation to Sarah’s care. ALL donated funds will go directly to Sarah to support her recovery and extraneous medical and personal needs during this very difficult time.

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Who IS this Sarah Liners person?

Sarah is a dedicated daughter, partner, and friend (that's Sarah's mom Joyce on the right!) who is always there to give all the help she can to those who need her - and there are a lot of us who need her! This personal mission is why Sarah became an Acupuncturist and Certified Massage Professional in the first place and it's why she maintains a small, dedicated private practice.

Sarah has seen many patients, family, and friends through their darkest days, providing therapeutic treatment and personal support through cancers, injuries and chronic conditions. Sarah puts her whole self into her mission to help others - and now she needs help for herself.

If you know Sarah, you’ll know that she hates to ask for any kind of help, but this is where she finds herself today.

Since last Friday, every day has brought difficult news and terrible feelings for our beautiful Sarah. Still and all, she's doing her very best to maintain her good humor while confronting all of these medical uncertainties head on.

Sarah is being tended to by an amazing Cardiac team that is taking her condition very seriously and she is in constant touch with close family and friends, near and far. Being relieved from this imminent financial concern will allow Sarah to relax and fully focus on her healing journey.

Michelle, longtime patient, asked me to share the following with you:

“Sarah is a true doctor of the ancient healing arts and supports her patients through her academic and ancestral knowledge coupled with her extremely effective practical skills. But, Sarah is not just a healer – she’s a creator. In addition to providing care for the humans around her, Sarah has built a sustainable pollinator garden that feeds not only her body and soul, but so many of those around her. She helps the earth and animals heal and provides sanctuary for hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, bees, and you pesky humans.

If Sarah has touched your life – or if her story has touched your heart – please donate to help Sarah regain her health without worry and continue to create opportunities for others to heal and reach their full potential. Let’s give back to someone who has already given so much.”

Longtime friend, Melissa, wants you to know that Sarah's awesomeness is steady, sincere, and goes all the way back to childhood

"I’ve known and loved Sarah Liners since the first time we met on a school bus to a 7th grade art museum field trip. We sat awkwardly together on the cold, leather bus seat, Sarah clearly watching the gloomy Minnesota weather beyond the window. She told me how she had just come from California and this new environment felt like a pretty crappy deal. We immediately started swapping stories and laughing our butts off. It was an instant connection.

Maybe it was the enticing aroma of her Paul Mitchell green apple hair styling gel. Maybe it was how she made me giggle with her edgy, inappropriate, and wonderfully ingenious humor. Whatever, it stuck Sarah and I have been friends from that moment through this one (and for tomorrow and forever). I have such tremendous gratitude for Sarah’s presence in my life and for the opportunity to be a witness to all of her amazing accomplishments and journeys.

I can always turn to Sarah when I’m going through the thick of things, and her honesty, warmth, protection, and empathy are front and center every time. As she is faced with her own challenges, it is my sincerest hope that those who love Sarah - and those who have been touched by her amazing spirit - will offer as much support as possible during her venture towards healing and recovery. We all know that she would do the same for us, no questions asked."

Please check back for updates and please share far and wide. Thank you for your care and support.

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You can read the longer version of medical events here:

On Friday, September 12, 2025 at 11am, Sarah was in an exercise class when she felt suddenly ill. After sitting for a few minutes to catch her breath, she realized she was likely having a heart attack. I rushed to find her sitting in her car looking gray and all kinds of bad. 911 brought the ambulance team that confirmed she was in the middle of having a heart attack. After rushing to the nearest hospital (Good Samaritan, San Jose), she was assessed and brought immediately into the Cath Lab for treatment. While working to insert two stents on the right side of her heart, she coded three times and was brought back to life with the miracle paddles three times.

The heart attack was caused not by plaque blockage, rather by a rupture in the artery. Her body stopped the bleeding but the blood that formed as a result caused blockage that resulted in the heart attack.

During the ordeal, her surgical team noted that while their treatment of the RIGHT heart was successful, the vessels on her LEFT side heart have blockages and are extremely weak, weakness likely caused by the radiation she endured 23 years ago when being treated for Hodgekin’s Lymphoma. These vessels are at such high risk of failure that the doctors will not let her leave the hospital without getting them all fixed up.

Since September 15, they've been checking all of her parts to make sure they can withstand the surgery they want to do, a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG). In checking her parts, it's been discovered that Sarah also may have a congenital heart defect, which may complicate things further and that’s where she’s at today, September 19, 2025.