Life touched the net: Woman abducted from hospital as a baby, now tragically dies

Auckland (New Zealand) - Abbie Sundgren (†30) has led a turbulent life. As a baby, she was abducted from hospital shortly after birth. In her mid-20s, she was diagnosed with cancer. Now the British-born woman has passed away . She is being celebrated and honored posthumously online for her courage and zest for life.

Abbie Sundgren (†30) succumbed to cancer. This was confirmed by her husband Karl on Facebook.
Abbie Sundgren (†30) succumbed to cancer. This was confirmed by her husband Karl on Facebook.  © Montage: Facebook/Karl Sundgren

Abbie Humphries, as she was known at the time, was just three hours old when she was abducted from the Queen's Medical Center in Nottingham in July 1994.

According to the Nottingham Post, a 22-year-old woman posed as a nurse and went into hiding with little Abbie. The story moved the whole country at the time, even Princess Diana expressed her best wishes to the parents of the kidnapped girl. After seventeen days, the scare was finally over and the baby was back with her family.

26 years later, the next shock: Abbie, now an adult, was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain in November 2020. "There's no point in being angry or blaming anyone. We were just terribly unlucky. I usually choose to look on the bright side of everything. That makes everyone feel better," said the young woman in 2021.

In May 2022, Abbie, who had tied the knot with her husband Karl Sundgren in 2017 and lived happily with him in New Zealand for years, then gave the next sad update: "My body is no longer responding to treatment [...]. It's not the news we wanted, but we just have to make the best of life now and have a damn good time," she bravely revealed once again in a Facebook post .

And that's exactly what she did for two and a half years before she passed away a few days ago.

Abbie Sundgren passed away at the weekend: Husband Karl mourns his wife on Facebook

After a four-year battle against cancer, Abbie's life is to be celebrated

Her husband Karl reported his wife's passing on Facebook this week. "Our beautiful Abbie passed away peacefully yesterday surrounded by her loved ones. She fought with so much strength and grace for over 4 years and can now finally rest," he wrote on Monday.

He also posted 19 photos capturing the exciting life of the deceased. Next Saturday, people will not mourn Abbie, but celebrate her life, Karl explained. Everyone is invited to attend.

He ended his post with the words: "Abbie was so strong and her infectious smile will stay in our hearts forever." Hundreds of people commented on his touching message with words of compassion and admiration.