Sara Sidner on losing Ananda Lewis to breast cancer-and facing her own reconstructive surgery: ‘How am I doing? I don’t know…’

Jan. 11, 2026 – 01:54 – As we continue to mourn the loss of Ananda Lewis, journalist Sarah Sidner—who considered Lewis a close friend—opened up to us about the toll of that grief, especially while fighting her own battle with breast cancer. “I can’t really explain the tornado of emotions… Losing Ananda… was just a reminder of not only the deadliness that cancer can still med out, but also that it does it to Black women more… 38% more likely to die if you’re a Black woman who gets breast cancer,” Sidner said. She shared that her fight isn’t over—she still has one more major surgery ahead and will remain on medication for years to come. But the emotional weight of that journey is just as real. “There’s a mental component of this… and I think everyone has to recognize it—no shame, no blame.” We see you, Sarah. We honor Ananda. And we continue to say: early detection, honest conversations, and collective care can save lives.