Sarah Herron has finally brought her baby home. On Monday, the Bachelor alum shared the gut-wrenching story of having to collect her late son Oliver's ashes after cremation, reflecting on how it was the only time she would ever get a chance to "pick up" her little boy.
TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about stillbirth and infant loss, which may be triggering to some.
Sarah wrote about the experience and shared a clip from her long drive
Fans were given a front-row seat as Sarah documented her grief and sadness as she and her dog, Rio, drove to pick up Oliver's ashes. The little boy died shortly after being delivered at just 24 weeks.
"'Hi, Sarah? We have Oliver and he's ready to be picked up.' The most surreal moment of my life was picking up our son's cremation remains," Sarah began her lengthy post. "No parent should have to answer this call."
Sarah hadn't been expecting the call for a few weeks
She had been out running errands when her phone rang and she was caught completely off guard by how quickly they'd been able to take care of everything.
"I imagined [fiancรฉ] Dylan [Brown] and I would go together," she continued. "I imagined I'd have time to grieve a little longer. Honestly, I was dreading this day. But there I was, already driving southbound, headed in his direction (as if he knew), and I replied to the woman on the phone, 'I'm on my way.'"
The former reality star said she felt called to her son
Sarah thought the timing of the call was more than just a coincidence and she felt compelled to drop everything and go immediately to Oliver.
"Suddenly a purpose washed over me, crystal clear I had a job: to go pick up our son. To be his mom. It was the only time in my life I'll ever get that call for Oliver," she wrote. "While part of me slipped into disassociation, a bigger part of me felt great pride and honor to be the only one who could answer this call."
The call led Sarah to a devastating realization
Sarah said it suddenly occurred to her that this was the only time she would ever get called to come pick up her son, and it was a call she suddenly wished she would get again.
Oliver's death came as a shock to Sarah and Dylan, who had been enjoying sharing their pregnancy journey online with their followers. Fans were devastated to learn that Oliver had died on January 28, following his premature birth. Since then, they've been showering Sarah with messages of support and kindness.
Now Sarah and Dylan have to pick a spot for Oliver's remains
The grieving parents are still deciding where they'll spread his ashes. The place where Dylan proposed and the spot where a pregnant Sarah swam with sea turtles are both on the list.
"But for now, Oliver is back at home with us, and just having him close to me brings more comfort than I was expecting," she wrote.
We're glad Sarah's been able to find some solace in what is otherwise an unimaginably difficult time. Our hearts are with the couple as they navigate their loss.
