Sara's Story

Sara was born in the then Aden Protectorate in August 1963 whilst her father was a medical officer with the RAF. On their return from Aden the family settled locally, Sara later attending Bexhill College, followed by Hastings College doing a foundation course in fine arts. In 1979 she moved to London to work in the fashion industry ending up as a stylist in fashion photography. Sara was the middle child with an older and younger brother whom she kept firmly in check! She was a loving, but argumentative, part of a close family.

In 1993, Sara was diagnosed with a sarcoma of her wrist. The treatment for this entailed amputating her right arm and chemotherapy. The odds against survival were nil, but Sara was a fighter and determined to survive. She began planning her own care alongside medical treatment, and discovered the benefits of diet, relaxation and meditation at the Bristol Cancer Help Centre (now known as Penny Brohn). She sourced her own dietician and aromatherapist, and for two more years, Sara lived and worked with remarkable courage before her passing in 1995. 

Her final wish was to ensure that others facing a life threatening illness could access for free the same therapies and support that helped her, able to live life to the full, in spite of the cancer within.

In her memory, her family and friends founded The Sara Lee Trust which has since helped thousands of local people affected by cancer and other life threatening illnesses. 

Sara's Day
​Celebrating Sara's Vision

Every year, we celebrate Sara's Day on August 29th, which would have been Sara's birthday. 

How you can support Sara's Vision