Midwifery

Remembering Sara

September 18, 2016

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We are mamas and birth workers who decided to do birth differently– and bring others along with us. We are kind, fun to work with, and great at (lovingly) calling people on their bullshit. With 12 children and 20 years of midwifery between us, we’ve learned a thing or two along the way, and Indie Birth is our space to share it all with you.

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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.

sara2

Sara and Maryn at the Indie Birth Conference, 2016

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  1. Esther Perez says:

    How in the world she had the energy or time to do everything she did is beyond me. But she has margin to spare. To know her was to be profoundly impacted by her. I hope to be half the woman she was. Love you Sara.

  2. Linda Solomon says:

    She was an amazing mom and a great friend. You could not leave a conversation with her without being impacted. I pray that I can take all that I’ve learned from her and continue to share it. Love you Sara!

  3. Diane says:

    Sara was a beautiful person in every way. It was an honor to know & be her friend. The sadness I feel is beyond words & I can’t even imagine how her husband & 7 children feel. She was a joy & blessing to all! Remembering her always with love!

  4. I am so Sad, for All of Us, but especially her Husband & Children. Dear God bless them & Keep them close.

  5. Autumn says:

    If you were blessed to have Sara in your life you would agree with all the above…but her ministry here on earth was not just a campaign for women to trust and believe in their bodies. Her testimony shared with other women gave credit to God the creator, the very One who designed our unique womanly bodies. Sara ministered to those around her out of love and devotion to her Savior, Jesus Christ. And to my sister, and friend, THANK YOU for your loving-kindness shared with coffee and brownies. You have ran the race and finished strong, I thank God for the season together.

  6. Kathleen says:

    I never knew Sara, but my heart is broken for her family. Not to be rude or intrusive, but is it wrong to ask how her demise came about? Post partum blood clot? Accident? Anything we can learn that would be a help to our clients? I totally respect privacy…praying for Grace to carry these children through…

  7. Maryn Green says:

    Kathleen, her sister in law Sarrah sent us a note to say…”She did not pass away due to a pulmonary embolism. Close. But I don’t want women to maybe correlate her labor of Luna now 3 weeks old to a fear of home birth. Sara was passionate about birthing without fear. Sara’s lungs were clear. The cause of death was something called, and forgive my spelling. Hemoperitoneum with ruptured aorta.”

  8. Kathy Suszczewicz says:

    I had a strong pull to Sara over the past couple of weeks. I thought we might be crossing paths soon, to meet her little one, reconnect.
    Sara came when my husband was newly diagnosed with a lymphoma. He was so sick and life was murky. She came in the Phoenix heat with food and supplements, homemade snacks, delicious treats, coffee. I would unexpectedly and emails now and then from her …little gifts of Starbucks coffee and always that firm, decisive wave of trust…that life is what it is and to keep going.
    Her absence is palpable. I don’t know if anyone could have met her and not been affected by her.

  9. Maryn Green says:

    So beautiful, Kathy. Thank you. I too will always remember her gifts of food and love. She was so special in taking care of people. She would have made a great midwife, but really did “midwife” all kinds of people when she was here.

  10. MG says:

    Reading the beautiful words you all are saying about her makes me want to be a better person. So thankful she was a believer. My heart breaks for those dear children and her husband.

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We are mamas and midwives who decided to do birth differently– and bring others along with us. We are radical, fun to work with, and great at (lovingly) calling people on their bullshit to help move us all towards a new more beautiful world. With 12 children and over two decades of midwifery between us, we’ve learned a thing or two along the way, and Indie Birth is our space to share it all with you.

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