
Sara Wassenaar and A Mother’s Love
From Taking a Breath: A Stop the Clot Podcast by National Blood Clot Alliance
May 20, 2026 · 48 min · Season 3 · Episode 9
About this episode
Sara Wassenaar shares her experience of losing a child to a blood clot and discusses advocacy for blood clot awareness and prevention.
Blood clots are unexpected. They arrive and shift your life down the path of the unimaginable. As parents, we do everything within our power to protect our children. When it comes to an unexpected clotting event, how do you navigate being there for your loved one? How do you reconcile with the sudden and immediate loss of a child? In this episode of Taking a Breath, we’re joined by Sara Wassenaar to discuss the harrowing experience of losing a child to a blood clot. Together we remember and celebrate the life of her daughter, Anna Frutiger, and the next steps for actionable change in blood clot prevention and awareness. We are also joined by Congresswoman Hillary J Scholten from Michigan’s Third District to discuss legislative action and what blood clot prevention looks like in the state of Michigan and Nationwide. Alongside NBCA President Leslie Lake and NBCA Patient Liaison Todd Robertson, this conversation explores not just survival, but what it means to chart a path that will save countless lives to follow. Listeners will hear practical insights on recognizing warning signs, advocating for yourself in medical settings, and finding community on the journey to shaping the…
People in this episode
Guests: Sara Wassenaar, Congresswoman Hillary J Scholten
Topics covered
- blood clot awareness
- parental advocacy
- legislative action
- grief and loss
- healthcare navigation
Keywords
- blood clots
- advocacy
- grief
- healthcare
- prevention
- legislation
- awareness
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: National Blood Clot Alliance
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- Burgess Family and Advocacy Through Remembrance · March 18, 2026 · 40 min
- Trailer: The Burgess Family · March 13, 2026 · 2 min
- Sherry Ott and Life’s Unexpected Journey · February 18, 2026 · 34 min
- Senator Shevrin Jones and What It Means to Give · January 29, 2026 · 28 min
- Dan Walsh and the Power of Support · December 9, 2025 · 30 min
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