I Made A Mess of My Kid's College Fund

My name is Sarah, and I am a single parent with two teenage kids. They are growing up so fast. The eldest, Ben, just turned 18 this year, and we've been saving money for his college education since he was born. It’s been the biggest priority for me after making sure they have food on their plate every day. But last week, something happened that I wish hadn’t. I found out my mom had passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. She was always the one who supported us financially when things got tough. After her passing, there were some expenses that came up suddenly for her funeral and settling her affairs. The day I paid those bills, I checked our savings account for Ben’s college fund. It was almost empty because of what I had to do. I didn’t want to take the money out but it felt like my only option at the time. Now, every single day since then, I’ve been ruminating on this decision. Am I an asshole for taking away his future for a temporary need? Is there any other way now? How will he react when he finds out what happened to that savings? I want advice from anyone who has dealt with something similar or knows how messed up it feels inside, not just financially but emotionally too. Am I the asshole here?