Abbie Humphries, a woman who endured a harrowing abduction as a baby from a U.K. hospital, has now sadly passed away at the age of 30. Her life was marked by both the trauma of being taken and the battle against brain cancer. In 1994, she was kidnapped by a woman pretending to be a nurse just three hours after her birth at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. After 17 days, she was found and returned to her family. However, her life took another tragic turn when she was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020.

Her Husband's Heartfelt Tribute

Abbie Humphries's husband Karl Sundgren announced her passing on Facebook on Monday, Dec 9. He wrote, "Our beautiful Abbie peacefully passed away yesterday, surrounded by loved ones. She fought so hard with so much strength and grace for over 4 years and can finally rest." Humphries lived with her husband in Auckland, New Zealand, and had moved there with her family as a 10-year-old.

The Abduction Incident

In July 1994, Abbie Humphries was abducted by 22-year-old former dental nurse Julie Kelley, who was pregnant at the time. She was later found at a property in the Nottingham village of Wollaton and returned to her parents, Roger and Karen Humphries. Kelley pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and was put on probation for three years after being diagnosed with a personality disorder. Humphries was not told about the abduction as a child and only discovered it at age 10 when she found press cuttings about the incident. She said, "That’s when I realized what a huge deal it was. But it didn’t stir up any emotions of horror or anything. To be honest, I thought it was rather cool." Her parents told her about it as she grew up in bits and pieces.

The Battle against Brain Cancer

In November 2020, Humphries was diagnosed with a 5cm (2 inch) brain tumor. In 2021, when speaking about her diagnosis, she told The Mail on Sunday, "There is no point feeling angry or blaming anything. We have just had a terrible amount of bad luck. I usually choose to look at the positive side of everything. It makes everyone feel better." A memorial is being held for her in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday, Dec. 14.