Sasha’s Holistic Healing Journey

When Life Changes Overnight

My name is Aleksandra – Sasha, and I know what it feels like when life tests your strength in ways you never imagined.

Born in ex-Yugoslavia, I grew up during a civil war that changed everything overnight. One day, I was surrounded by friends, school, and teenage dreams – the next, by bombings, fear, uncertainty, and the struggle to survive without food, water, or a sense of safety.

Amid that darkness, I found light. I met my soulmate, Dragan, and immersed myself in academic research after completing my Master’s degree in Mathematics and IT. Even during the hardest times, life gifted us our daughter, Katarina – our tiny superhero who brought hope and purpose into our lives.

Starting Again in New Zealand

Years later, searching for peace and a better future for our family, we left everything behind and moved to New Zealand with just four suitcases and endless uncertainty.

We rebuilt our lives from the beginning: learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, and finding our place in a completely different world.

Over time, we created a new life. Our son, Stefan, was born, and despite all the challenges, we slowly began to feel stability and hope again.

I built a successful career in software development while balancing motherhood, responsibilities, ambitions, and the pressure to hold everything together.

From the outside, life looked stable and successful.

Inside, I lived in a constant state of stress, emotional exhaustion, and survival mode without fully realizing it.

The Breaking Point

After years of carrying emotional stress, unprocessed war trauma, and deep personal loss – including losing my mother and close friends to cancer following the bombing period in Serbia, and later the devastating loss of Dragan’s mother through suicide just months before my diagnosis – my body eventually reached a breaking point.

Then, in 2015, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

My cancer was triple positive (ER+, PR+, and HER2+), one of the more aggressive forms of breast cancer known for growing and spreading quickly. After surgery, further testing showed circulating tumor cells throughout my bloodstream, indicating the disease had become systemic.

I was terrified.

As a mother, my greatest fear was not seeing my children grow up. I remember crying quietly at night beside them, wondering how much time I had left.

Choosing a Different Path

During that darkest period, Dragan became my anchor. His love, support, and relentless research opened the door to a completely different perspective on healing.

Together, we chose a deeply holistic path focused on supporting my body naturally through nutrition, detoxification, emotional healing, stress reduction, movement, rest, mindset work, and reconnecting with myself.

Healing took time.

I slowly learned to slow down, simplify life, let go of fear and perfectionism, and learn to truly listen to my body and heart for the first time.

Nearly 11 years later, I am healthy, peaceful, grateful, and living a vibrant life.

After being told my cancer was terminal, that once felt impossible.

Life After Cancer

My healing journey transformed every part of my life.

After my recovery, I transitioned professionally into Product Ownership and Agile Coaching, helping people and teams grow through communication, adaptability, leadership, and human connection.

Personally, I found a deeper calling in supporting others through health challenges, emotional overwhelm, fear, stress, relationships, and personal transformation.

Looking back, what feels most extraordinary to me is not only the aggressiveness of the diagnosis, but the transformation that happened emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually along the way.

Why We Share Our Story

Today, Dragan and I share our story to inspire hope and remind others that even in life’s darkest moments, healing, love, resilience, and transformation are possible.

Our message is not about perfection or fear.

It is about learning to reconnect with yourself, support your body, simplify life, and rediscover hope – even when everything feels impossible.

Dragan’s Story & The Birth of From Fear to Freedom

My name is Dragan Petrović, and like Sasha, I’ve faced life’s toughest challenges head-on.
As a child, I battled severe intestinal problems and frequent illness, but I grew up with passion and curiosity — and basketball became my lifelong love.

During the war in ex-Yugoslavia, amid chaos, I found stability in Sasha. While she built her academic career, I finished my Mechanical Engineering degree and succeeded in sales. Our daughter brought light into those dark years.
Then life tested us again. My mother-in-law lost her battle with cancer, and soon after, my best friend was diagnosed, too. I drove him to chemotherapy every day until he passed away — a loss that broke something inside me.

These experiences left me searching for answers. In 2008, we moved to New Zealand seeking peace and a new beginning. We rebuilt life from nothing. In 2012, our son was born, but three years later, tragedy struck again — my mother took her own life. Six months later, Sasha was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

I was terrified, but I refused to surrender to fear. I researched day and night, studying every holistic healing approach I could find. Together we changed everything — food, habits, mindset, environment — and slowly, Sasha healed completely.
Those years shaped who we are. They taught me that love, resilience, and belief in the body’s natural wisdom can move mountains.
Today, I share what we’ve learned through HealthyLifeNZ and as the author of the book From Fear to Freedom — a true story of courage, love, and the power of holistic healing.
You can also visit my Amazon Author Page to learn more.

Together at HealthyLifeNZ

Together, we turned pain into purpose.
At HealthyLifeNZ, we guide individuals and couples through life’s most challenging moments by promoting holistic health, resilience, and personal growth.
Our mission is simple — to help you heal, grow, and thrive:

• Physically, through nutrition, detox, and mindful movement
• Emotionally, through self-awareness and compassion
• Spiritually, through connection, gratitude, and purpose

We believe that anyone can transform fear into freedom and pain into power.
Through HealthyLifeNZ, we share proven holistic practices, real stories, and continuous support to help you create a life filled with balance, love, and meaning.

Learn more about us, explore our vision and mission, and discover how holistic healing can transform your world.

We are proud to be listed among the Mind, Body & Emotional Support Practitioners at CancerCare New Zealand.
Through The Journey™ and other evidence-based transformational techniques, we help people experiencing cancer release emotional blocks stored in the body and support their healing on a cellular level.