We are shocked and sad to share that a wonderful woman in the birth community, dear to Indie Birth, and women worldwide, died suddenly and unexpectedly a few days ago.

I met Sara Arrington about 5 years ago. We met online, realized that we were only 3 hours distance from each other. Sara came up to Sedona with her kids and plenty of food, (something that she would become famous and well-loved for; the ability and desire to feed and take care of people, whenever she could) and we hit it off.

I’d easily consider Sara a sister; over the years, we bonded over midwifery, birth and having many children. I have met so few people in the world that were as sincere and loving as Sara was. Whether just a Facebook message or a quick text, we kept in touch about the important things. When I experienced a pregnancy loss last year, Sara was a rock. She was one of the very first friends to drive up here and bring me food, love and support. Sara was the epitome of giving. She was a true friend.

I want to hold the memory of Sara in the birth world, too, because she was a force, and she was changing women and bringing back birth to it’s roots, every day. She self-lessly educated women in her community about their options, and personally “walked the walk” by trusting her body in a way that is so beautiful and rare. Sara was a confident, trusting birther; she spoke at our Conference last year, sharing her unassisted birth experiences, which included a surprise breech. Even so, Sara was so modest and humble and never told her stories to brag. She told them because she wanted women to know what they were capable of, she wanted them to know their power. She was influencing birthing women in ways she wasn’t even aware of; always with love and honesty.

Indie Birth is also feeling the loss of this beautiful soul. When Margo and I say she was our “right hand” for the Conference, it does not even really begin to speak to her contribution. The word “Sara” became synonymous with “someone who is amazing, we can count on and can get anything done”; as in…we need a Sara for that project! She was the kind of person you wanted to duplicate, and kept us together in every sort of way. Sara was our administrative genius, applying for CEU credit and handling the mountain of paperwork that comes with that. Sara was our check-in, “face” of the Conference, even when she needed to do semi-ridiculous things like “bounce” certain people from the Conference doors! (We laughed about that for quite a while; it seemed so contrary to her peaceful, quiet disposition but the truth is, Sara was also bold, fierce and willing to do whatever what was needed.) It sounds silly, but she was the one to tie it all together with things like toilet paper in the bathrooms. She was the one that did ALL the things that make an event memorable. I am mourning her in every sort of way, because truly, my life (and the life of all the women she influenced) will never be the same.

Margo and I are deeply mourning the loss of this dear friend; a wife and mother to 7 beautiful kids. Indie Birth will forever be grateful to her for her work, and for her beliefs and strength and confidence around and in birth.

Please donate to the campaign to help Sara’s husband and their children with the long, hard road ahead. For any amount you donate, forward the receipt to us at Indie Birth and we will happily and graciously gift you with one of our Indie Birth digital products.

Please click here to donate.

In loving memory of a beautiful person;
We love and honor and miss you, Sara.

Sara and Maryn at the Indie Birth Conference, 2016