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Husband in 'complete shock' after wife announces own death in heartbreaking post
Author Sarah Mandel was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer back in 2017
Rhiannon Ingle
A husband was left 'completely shocked' after his wife 'didn't tell anyone' about a goodbye video she'd made to be shared on social media to announce her death.
At the start of this month (1 June), Sarah Mandel, a psychologist and author from New York, took to social media to share a video that left even her closest family members at a loss for words.
The post saw Sarah, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer back in 2017, announced her own death just a matter of weeks away from her 43rd birthday.
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She captioned the post with the overlay text: "If you're reading these words right now, I have died.
"I wrote this message the week I was told I had weeks to months to live."
After thanking the 'old friends, new friends and strangers' who supported her through the 'toughest days of this cancer ordeal', Sarah shared a sweet tribute to her 'beloved' family.
Speaking about her daughters, she wrote: "I love you and I am so proud of you. I may be somewhere beyond our concepts of infinity. That's how much I love you."
The TikTok caption continues below the video: "Our dear Sarah died peacefully in her sleep last night. She was thankfully very calm and comfortable in her final restful days.
"As throughout her life, she spent her final night surrounded by love. She was cuddled up with her girls, Siena and Sophie, just hours before she died.
"From end to end Sarah’s life was a work of art - a masterpiece - and her beauty, warmth, and kindness will live on in our memories, especially in our hearts, and also through her paintings, songs, and writing.
"She brought joy, a sparkle, and a love of life, to every day and lived life with endless passion and hope."
It added: "Thank you for the love and support you all have provided. I know she felt it all, and loved you all very deeply."
Since her death, Sarah's husband, Derek Rodenhausen, 42, has opened up about the situation which left him 'completely shocked'.
He told PEOPLE that Sarah 'didn't tell anybody about that'.
After being diagnosed with cancer in 2017, Sarah eventually closed her practice in 2021 and went on to publish Little Earthquakes: A Memoir in April 2023.
"As she started to write it, she started to weave in memories and parts of her own life, and it became a memoir ... but also has a self-help component of helping people know how to navigate their own traumas," Derek recalled.
Admitting that his late wife wasn't a 'social media person', Derek explained that Sarah started to use her various accounts as 'she still felt like she had things to give'.
According to her goodbye video at the end of her life, 'she was thankfully very calm and comfortable in her final restful days. As throughout her life, she spent her final night surrounded by love. She was cuddled up with her girls, Siena and Sophie, just hours before she died'.
The TikTok Sarah posted has since gone viral after clocking up over 1.9 million views on the platform alongside thousands upon thousands of comments from people rushing in to send their condolences.
Derek says that seeing the 'beautiful' support from Sarah's online community has felt like a heartbreaking final gift from her.
"I just loved her incredibly over those 22 years, and we had a wonderful family," he added.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.