Inside the life and medical history of Sarah Sudgen

Sarah Sugden in Emmerdale hasn’t had an easy life since her birth in 2005. Stricken with all manner of health issues since childhood, poor Sarah...
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By Joel Harley

Sarah Sugden in Emmerdale hasn’t had an easy life since her birth in 2005. Stricken with all manner of health issues since childhood, poor Sarah has suffered a rare form of anemia, throat cancer and heart failure.

What illness does Sarah Sugden have?

In 2011, Sarah sparked worry in her family when they noticed that she was covered in bruises. Debbie took Sarah to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with fanconi anemia – a rare blood disorder which causes bone marrow failure.

There doctors revealed that Sarah would need a bone marrow transplant to save her life. In spite of Debbie and Andy’s best efforts, neither could find a donor – and they decided to have a ‘saviour sibling’ to save her life.

In October 2012, Debbie gave birth to Sarah’s brother Jack – and just in the nick of time too, as Sarah was now developing leukaemia. After the following bone marrow operation, Sarah was released from hospital where she reunited with her family at home.

Diagnosis with throat cancer

In 2017, Sarah returned from France, where she had been living with her mum and brother. During this time, she had contracted throat cancer – which required an expensive treatment not available via the NHS.

Her family set up a crowdfunding page for Sarah, which received an anonymous donation of £20,000. Sarah learned that this had actually come from Faith Dingle – her long-lost great-grandmother.

Faith accompanied Sarah to Prague where she underwent treatment for the cancer. Once returned, she underwent an operation in England which was also successful.

Heart failure

In June 2018, Sarah collapsed, and was taken to hospital. Doctors revealed that she was suffering from heart failure as a rare side-effect of her chemotherapy. She was informed that she would need a heart transplant, and her condition worsened when she picked up a virus.

By October, a suitable donor had been found for Sarah’s heart transplant. In spite of complications, the doctors managed to stabilise Sarah’s new heart, and she returned to her family in December.

Who are the parents of Sarah Sugden in Emmerdale?

Sarah Sugden is the daughter of Debbie Dingle and Andy Sugden. After Debbie discovered that she had fallen pregnant aged only fifteen, she tried to hide the news and leave the baby at the hospital at birth.

However, her plans fell apart when she wound up giving birth in a shed – naming the child Sarah Charity after her grandparents.