Abbie Humphries was abducted from hospital as a baby. She just died age 30.

By all accounts, Abbie Humphries was an ordinary baby. Her mum gave birth to her on July 1, 1994 at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, England.

The loving parents were excited that their bundle of joy had entered the world.

However, the ordinary circumstances of her birth would soon be turned upside down. Just three hours after entering the world, Abbie was stolen from the hospital.

She was kidnapped from her parents in one of Britain's most brazen abductions.

A woman, posing as a nurse, had walked into the hospital room, claiming Abbie needed a routine hearing test. Abbie's father, Roger Humphries, still elated from his daughter's birth, handed her over without a second thought.

He later recalled the horrifying realisation that followed: "The woman I thought was a nurse came into the room almost immediately after Karen went to ring her mother. Because I was in a state of elation about the birth, nothing about her rang any alarm bells."

Abbie was taken from her parents in one of Britain's most brazen abductions. Image: BBC

Karen, Abbie's mother, returned to the room moments later to find her newborn gone.

"I was away for only a few minutes," she said, per the Nottingham Post. "I looked around the room. 'Where's the baby?' I asked Roger. He replied, 'Oh, a nurse came and took her for a hearing test.' I immediately realised something was wrong."

The panic set in. Roger, desperate and frantic, ran through the hospital.

"I ran everywhere like a crazy man," he said of that moment.

"I was in a terrible state. I dashed along corridors and ran up the ramp of the car park, checking vehicles, looking for a woman with a baby, but by then she was long gone."

For over two weeks, Karen and Roger lived every parent's worst nightmare.

They'd welcomed a newborn baby girl who had been snatched right out from under their noses.

The case sparked a nationwide manhunt and dominated headlines across Britain and beyond. Even Princess Diana sent a message of support to the family, offering her sympathy and prayers.

"I'd had those first three hours with Abbie, cuddling her and feeding her," Karen said. "The bonding had begun. It was a terrible wrench to lose her so quickly, but I knew I had to be strong and believe that I would get her back.

"If she came back to me, I was determined to make it up to her with all the love that a mother could give."

The search took 17 days, leading police to a property in Wollaton, a suburb of Nottingham.

In a moment that the family had hoped and dreamed of, baby Abbie was found at the property.

The kidnapper was identified as Julie Kelley, a 22-year-old former dental nurse.

Kelley, who had reportedly faked a pregnancy to keep her partner from leaving her, had carried out the abduction in a moment of desperation. Despite the gravity of the crime, Kelley received three years' probation and treatment for a severe personality disorder.

For the Humphries family, the relief of having Abbie back was tempered by the trauma of what they had endured.

Karen described the moment she was reunited with her daughter: "She had lost a lot of weight but you couldn't miss that shock of blonde hair she had been born with. But it was more than that: I just knew this was my baby."

She added, "There's something between a mother and her child that's stronger than all the tests."

Roger, on the other hand, struggled with the guilt of handing Abbie over.

"Karen had done some bonding, but I'd held Abbie for no more than half an hour and then I handed her, without question, to the very woman who had come into the hospital, in disguise, to steal a baby.

"I wouldn't wish what happened to me on any father."

Abbie grew up to be a bright, determined young woman. Image: Facebook.

Despite her extraordinary beginnings, Abbie grew up to be a bright, determined young woman.

When she was 10 years old, her family relocated to New Zealand, seeking a fresh start away from the memories of the past. It was during the move that Abbie stumbled upon press clippings of her kidnapping.

"We were unpacking all the boxes and I saw the press cuttings," she recalled. "That's when I realised 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 family had always been open about her story, but they allowed her to process it at her own pace. "My parents told me all about it as I grew up, but not all in one go. It came out in bits and pieces, part of the family conversation really."

Abbie thrived in New Zealand, where she became a talented swimmer, an accomplished flight attendant, and later found her calling in IT.

At 16, she reflected on how the story of her kidnapping had shaped her future ambitions.

"I learned how hard the police worked looking for me—perhaps that's why I've been thinking about joining up. Maybe I'll end up as a detective," she said at the time.

In 2017, Abbie married her teenage love, Karl Sundgren. Image: Facebook.

In 2017, Abbie married her teenage love, Karl Sundgren, who would remain by her side through her most difficult years.

Unfortunately, the kidnapping would not be the only devastating moment in Abbie's short life.

In 2020, Abbie received devastating news. She was diagnosed with a 5cm brain tumour, just a year after losing her mother, Karen, to breast cancer.

Despite the prognosis, Abbie approached the challenge with the same strength and positivity she had carried throughout her life.

"There is no point feeling angry or blaming anything," she said upon discovering the devastating health news. "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."

For four years, Abbie defied the odds.

She embraced life, spending her final months surrounded by family and friends who adored her.

Karl paid tribute to his wife in a heartbreaking message posted to social media. Image: Facebook.

On December 9, 2024, Abbie passed away peacefully at just 30 years old.

Karl paid tribute to his wife in a heartbreaking message posted to social media, remembering her as a beacon of hope and love.

"Our beautiful Abbie peacefully passed away yesterday, surrounded by loved ones," he wrote. "She fought so hard with so much strength and grace for over 4 years and can finally rest."

Abbie's story is one of unimaginable trauma and extraordinary courage. From the moment she was taken as a baby to her final years battling illness, her life was marked by resilience, love, and a quiet strength that inspired those around her.

Her parents fought to bring her home, and Abbie spent the rest of her life proving that even the darkest beginnings can give way to a beautiful and meaningful life.

As her family and loved ones mourn her loss, they remember a woman who refused to let her past define her—and who chose, always, to look on the bright side.

Feature image: Facebook.