Sarah Sugden in Emmerdale is just 17 years old, but she’s already had one of the most eventful lives of any character in the show.
From her dramatic birth when mum Debbie Dingle was a troubled teen herself, through to her potentially fatal health problems and getting involved with drug dealer Danny Harrington, Sarah’s packed a lot into her time on the soap.
But who is Sarah Sugden and what do we know about her?
Who is Sarah Sugden in Emmerdale?
She’s the daughter of Debbie and Andy Sugden – bringing together two of Emmerdale’s most iconic families.
She has a younger brother, Jack and is named after her paternal grandmother – Andy’s adopted mum, Sarah.
Her middle name is Charity after Debbie’s mum.
Read more: Emmerdale in 2022 – who’s leaving and who’s arriving in the village this year?
Why was Sarah Sugden’s arrival in Emmerdale so dramatic?
When Debbie found out she was expecting a baby to much older boyfriend Andy, she was determined to keep her pregnancy a secret.
She managed to hide it from everyone, except for Andy’s brother, Daz Eden.
Debbie wanted to have her baby alone in hospital and have it adopted, but she unexpectedly gave birth in the woods on June 6 2005.
The teen mum struggled to bond with her baby girl, and wanted Emily and Paddy Kirk to have her.
Eventually Sarah went to live with Andy and his girlfriend – later wife – Jo Stiles. But when Andy was sent to prison, Debbie and Sarah began to form a bond.
Later, Andy and Debbie fought for custody of their daughter until Andy withdrew his application and Sarah stayed with her mum.
Why did Sarah almost die in Emmerdale?
When Debbie noticed bruises on her little girl, she was worried someone was hurting her.
She was devastated when Sarah was diagnosed with a form of anaemia, which developed into leukaemia.
Sarah’s only hope of survival was a bone marrow transplant and so Andy and Debbie – who weren’t together at the time – decided to conceive a saviour sibling for their daughter.
Their son, Jack, was born in 2012 and Sarah’s transplant was a success.
But after being away from the village for a while, Sarah returned with her mum who shared the sad news that once again her daughter was ill – this time with throat cancer.
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