Sara Bunch

Prior to joining the Mesothelioma Hope editorial staff, Sara was an associate news editor and magazine features writer for an international faith-based brand, a copywriter amidst the hustle-and-bustle of the corporate world, and a writer and editor for a full-service digital marketing agency. Her very first professional editorial assignment was editing a book within the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

After spending two decades in the publication, corporate, and agency settings, Sara’s deeply-rooted love for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging led her to tell stories that heal the heart. With each sentence, her goal is to inspire an emotional response that will ultimately lead to positive social impact.

The Importance of Mental Health During Crises

As a mental health advocate whose closest family members work as marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and social workers, Sara wholeheartedly believes in the transformative power of traditional talk therapy.

“Research has repeatedly shown us that there is a solid link between receiving a cancer diagnosis and experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. But we don’t have to travel through this journey alone or suffer in silence.

It’s absolutely okay — and sometimes absolutely necessary — to speak to a mental health professional about what you’re feeling. At the very least, even if your situation remains the same, you are allowing yourself to embrace the comfort and peace that you deserve to have in your life.”

Community, Compassion, and Care

As a survivor of multiple traumatic experiences — including surviving war and a life-threatening medical condition — Sara understands firsthand the impact that trauma can have on our lives. But she knows that these experiences do not define us. Instead, we are defined by how we continue to live our best as we pursue acceptance in a time of grief.

“Sometimes as we prepare to overcome grief, we find ourselves alone because suddenly our friends and families don’t know how to ‘deal’ with us. They don’t know what to say, how to act, or help us heal. They refrain from bringing up what we are going through because they are afraid that they will remind us of our pain.

But in those instances, even a shared silence can be a sign of caring, compassion, and love. It’s not always what we say, but how we react to someone in pain that ends up helping them beyond measure. Just feeling a sense of community can go a long way.”

Sara resides in Los Angeles with her husband and children in a trilingual household. She spends her free time visiting both Disneyland and Disney World, and on extremely rare occasions, Disneyland Paris.