Meredith---- Sarah Jeanne Merchant, 34, left this world peacefully surrounded by her loving and heartbroken family on Friday, June 12, 2015 , after a courageous, five year battle with metastatic breast cancer.
Sarah was born in Hollis, NH on May 26, 1981, the first daughter of Michael and Donna Merchant. Her family, along with younger sister Allison, moved to Laconia, NH in 1987. Sarah was a 1999 graduate of Laconia Academy and went on to earn her Associates Degree at NHTI in Laconia in 2005 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in New Media Design and Imaging, from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY in 2008. After earning her degree she moved to Beverly, MA with her husband Matthew Merrow and their son Aidan and began a promising career at Beam Interactive and Relationship Marketing in Boston, MA.
Since her diagnosis in January 2010 Sarah has been a tireless advocate and blogger for the research and cure of metastatic breast cancer. Her “Insert Boobs Here” blog (www.insertboobshere.com) became a therapeutic and educational source for newly diagnosed breast cancer survivors. She was the President and Founder of Beyond Stage 4, organized in 2013, as a non-profit created to educate, support and ultimately cure metastatic breast cancer, with a focus on supporting young women diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer. Bikers 4 Boobies was their largest annual fundraiser that took place during Laconia Motorcycle Week. She was a Young Woman’s Initiative advocate and hotline mentor and Project LEAD graduate from the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
Sarah is survived by her beloved son Aidan Merrow, parents, Donna & Michael Merchant, sister Allison Plourde all of Meredith, NH and her husband Matthew Merrow of Concord, NH.
A calling hour will be held from 10:00-11:00am Saturday, June 27, 2015 using the Carriage House entrance at Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street Laconia, NH.
A Celebration of her life will follow at 11:00 am also at the funeral home.
Donations in Sarah’s memory can be made to Beyond Stage 4, 6 Wink Road, Meredith, NH 03253 or at www.beyondstage4.org.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is assisting the family with the arrangements.