Emmerdale aired a devastating update for Sarah Sugden following her major operation, with the character left heartbroken.

Sarah had been mulling over the possibility of having a baby over the last few months, with the teenager eventually opting to undergo IVF treatment. Despite being diagnosed with cervical cancer, Sarah continued with her plan.

Enlisting the help of Jacob Gallagher, who agreed to be her sperm donor, Sarah initially refrained from telling her family. Word eventually got out after Jacob inadvertently told Cain, causing drama in the family.

Thursday’s (26 June) episode began with Sarah and Jacob conversing ahead of the operation, with Sarah remarking that it was the “calm before the storm”. Charity, meanwhile, urged Cain to put “baby-talk” to the side and concentrate on Sarah’s recovery.

As Jacob was chastised by his grandfather Eric, Sarah paid tribute to Charity while she waited in the hospital bay, sharing that she had been an important maternal figure to her over the years.

“When it really matters, you’re always there for me,” Sarah told Charity, who replied that she possessed an “instinct” to “protect” her. The mood soured, however, when Sarah sensed that Charity wasn’t fully behind her plans to undergo IVF treatment.

After Charity admitted that she would never “truly understand” Sarah’s decision, the pair’s conversation ended badly as Charity deemed the idea a “stupid dream”. Feeling unheard, Sarah “took back” all the nice things she had said about Charity.

As the pair departed on bad terms, Charity confided in Cain that she harboured regrets over her words. Despite agreeing with some of the scepticism regarding Sarah’s plans, Cain explained to Charity that the teenager had to make her own decisions.

The pair later got some sad news from the surgeon, who informed them that Sarah’s operation hadn’t gone to plan.

Charity and Cain were by Sarah’s bedside as a doctor shared the devastating news with Sarah. The doctor started by trying to soften the blow as she told Sarah that there was no indication that the cancer had spread.

However, sad news was to follow as Sarah was told that due to her Fanconi anaemia, her blood vessels were fragile. The doctor then told Sarah: “Unfortunately , we couldn’t tie off the vessels that supplied the uterus. As a result, you had a massive haemorrhage during surgery. We were left with no choice. We had to perform an emergency hysterectomy.”

As Sarah realised she wouldn’t be able to carry a child, she broke down and ordered Cain and Charity to leave. With her baby dream in tatters, what will Sarah do next?