At 27, Sarah Deer was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. By 33, she faced a metastatic recurrence. An English language arts teacher turned librarian, Sarah now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan.

In this episode, Sarah shares her essay “The Gift of Koselig” from the 2025 “The Second Time Around” issue of Wildfire Journal. Her writing invites us into a world of sensory grounding, reclaiming pleasure, and daring to seek joy even in the face of a terminal diagnosis.

April and Sarah will talk about Sarah’s current season of survivorship, the contradictions living alongside cancer, and intentionally cultivating balance in life.

More about episode sponsor Rethink Breast Cancer: https://rethinkbreastcancer.com/

 More about episode sponsor Young Survival Coalition: https://youngsurvival.org/

Learn more about Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/seruhjane/

Purchase the The Second Time Around issue of Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/secondtime

Buy the Wildfire book Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

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*Free* Get Wildfire and The Burn freebies here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/free

More about Wildfire Journal: 

https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

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Information on submitting your story for consideration to be published in Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/submissions

Listen to more episodes of The Burn from The Second Time Around issue of Wildfire Journal:

Fishkeeping with Liz Grissom: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/6df4e954-7188-4f13-b72f-0a86cc3c2dd3/

Reclaiming Myself the Second Time Around with Shayna Welsh: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/63fb5a68-0e43-4805-9746-8c094dd01266/