Mom with ALS Leaves Final Letters for Her Sons Before Dying at 39 – The Words Are Devastating

Sara Bennett announced her own death in a scheduled Instagram post — the final step in a journey she had been documenting since her ALS diagnosis, and one that included a powerful gift to her children.

In a move as brave as it was devastating, 39-year-old mother of two Sara Bennett announced her own death on January 13 — through a scheduled Instagram message she had written before her passing.

The message, posted to her account in her own words, left followers stunned. But for those who had been following her agonizing journey through ALS, the farewell came not as a surprise — but as a tragic confirmation of a reality they'd feared was near.

Bennett had been diagnosed with the incurable disease in March 2023. And in the time since, she had been racing against her own decline — determined to leave behind something meaningful for the two little boys she would never get to see grow up.

A Mother's Love Etched in Ink

In November, Bennett revealed one of the many ways she had been preparing for the inevitable: a scrapbook painstakingly assembled for her sons — Lincoln, nine, and William, seven. The title alone was enough to break hearts: "Advice and love Letters to you both from your mom."

Posted alongside family photos, Bennett shared glimpses of the deeply personal, handwritten letters — while making it clear most of their contents were private. "Those are just for us," she wrote. Still, what she did share offered a poignant window into her soul. She urged her boys to be kind — and strong — in a world that isn't always kind in return.

"People are insecure and will say mean things to make themselves feel better," she wrote. "You're both so sweet, that makes you better than most men. Don't let anyone take that away from you."

A Race Against Time — And a Body That Betrayed Her

The scrapbook, according to Bennett, spanned more than 100 pages — and took her over 100 hours to complete. "The hard part is I will never feel like it's enough," she admitted in the post. "But it was the absolute most important thing to do for me."

Even as ALS robbed her of movement and independence, she remained determined to give her children the one thing disease couldn’t take: her wisdom, her love, and her voice."When I got sick, I started writing everything I could to help guide you," she explained. "It was the most important work I've ever done — other than being your momma."

She ended her post with a heartbreaking directive, "I think the best way to honor me is to use the scrapbook as a guide."

From Business to Battle: The Birth of 'The Ananda Pivot'

Bennett's Instagram account hadn’t always chronicled a slow, steady march toward death. Once, it was the home of her lifestyle business — The Ananda Edit — launched in 2020. But everything changed in 2023.

"When I thought about my business, I felt like deleting the account and stepping away," she wrote in May 2024. "But… that would just be one more thing this disease was taking from me."

Instead, Bennett rebranded — transforming The Ananda Edit into The Ananda Pivot — a space where she would share her journey through illness with honesty, vulnerability, and, most of all, courage.

"Life will not always go as planned. In fact, it almost never does," she reflected. "When a pivot is required, even in the most devastating circumstances, the direction change doesn't have to be all bad."

A Fast and Furious Decline

By September 2025, Bennett was no longer able to hide the toll ALS had taken. In a gut-wrenching video, she documented her spiral from health to helplessness — a progression that began even before her diagnosis.

She had previously undergone spinal surgery in 2022 for cervical myelopathy — but what followed was far worse. "It's been a hard, fast decline since then," she wrote. "I wish it didn't take a year and a misdiagnosis to get where we are, but that's pretty much common with ALS."

Her message to others: don't wait for doctors to find the answers. Fight. Insist. Persist. "You sometimes need a third and fourth opinion," she warned. "You are your best advocate."

Just months before her death, Sara marked an extraordinary milestone — her 11th wedding anniversary with her husband, Rusty. To celebrate, she created one last keepsake: an Artkive book, filled with their wedding photos, marriage certificate, and treasured memories.

"Artkive isn't just for kids' artwork!" she wrote, proudly displaying the result. "I sent all of our invitations and special cards in, and this is what I got from them! 💍" Even as her own life slipped away, she remained focused on what truly mattered: preserving the past for those she loved.

Bennett's final Instagram post, released after her death, was nothing short of haunting. Written and scheduled ahead of time, it was a letter from beyond — serene, poetic, and painfully final.

"I am not in pain, or tired. I can laugh, talk, and I can move," she wrote. “I am glad I didn't go suddenly even WITH the suffering. I finished my list." She left her followers — and her children — with peace, not fear. "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."

A Legacy That Won't Be Forgotten

In the hours following her final post, an outpouring of love flooded her page."I'm tearing up; this is so sweet, thoughtful, loving," one follower wrote. "This is just beautiful," another added.

Some saw it as a gift that would echo far beyond her death. "The boys will cherish it — their future partners and their children. Such an honor to read these." Others sent comfort, "You will live forever in their hearts."

Bennett called the scrapbook her "most important work" — and it is. A mother's words, preserved forever in ink and love, to guide her sons through a life she could no longer share.