I have not written about grassroots cancer organizations outside of North America since Americans & Canadians (especially Canadians in my opinion) have a lot to offer as far as creative cancer projects go. I have a long list of things to write about like the “I’m Gonna Wear it” project, Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Cancer film and about Tamika Felder who is one of the coolest (like Aretha Franklin-cool) cancer survivors I have ever met. Today, however, I am putting that list aside for what I feel is a truly remarkable, awe-inspiring cancer story from the United Kingdom. The story is about Sarah Yates – tag name Sazzelli (more on the tag name later) and her fight against Leukemia.

At about age 18 Sarah was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in her own words she knew that “life as I knew it would never be the same. I once identified myself with descriptors such as ‘graphic designer,’ ‘college student,’ and ‘daughter.’ Now I choose ‘leukemia survivor,’ ‘advocate,’ and ‘blessed.’ “. I am sure that most people reading this can identify with Sarah’s sentiments and would agree to a point that being diagnosed with cancer defines us all is one way or another. Sarah’s Cancer Diary is well documented with photos from the day she entered Christies Hospital in for treatment all the way through to her arrival home in a ‘whig & sunnys’ nearly 6 months later.

Besides being a cancer survivor, Sarah, rather, Sazzelli is a smoking hot graffiti artist. She’s just launched a new website called Fauna Graphic where you can check out all her fine work and goods.