A Second Life in the UAE Sabine’s Journey from the Edge of Death to Unbreakable Faith

When life almost ended in the early hours of a July morning in Ras Al Khaimah, Sabine did not know that she was about to be given what she now calls her second life.

Just days before, she had been rushed twice by ambulance to the emergency department of Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, suffering from what doctors initially feared could be a heart attack. What followed was a chain of medical events so severe that even seasoned surgeons later described her survival as extraordinary.

In the span of a few weeks, Sabine’s weight dropped dramatically from 68.5 kilograms to just 48 kilograms. The loss was not only physical but life threatening. Massive internal bleeding, extreme vomiting of blood, and a sudden collapse revealed a far deeper crisis unfolding inside her body. Her hemoglobin and iron levels had dropped dangerously low, placing her at high risk of heart attack and stroke.

At around three in the morning on Friday, July 25, her condition worsened catastrophically. Her colon and intestine ruptured due to a cancerous growth the size of a tennis ball. The internal explosion caused severe hemorrhaging and infection across her abdomen, placing unbearable pressure on her heart. Sabine was fully conscious and aware that she had no more than fifteen to twenty minutes to live if help did not arrive immediately.

It was her neighbour, Viktor Borsodi, who acted without hesitation. His immediate call to the police saved her life. When officers from the Ras Al Khaimah Federal Police arrived and saw her condition, they were visibly shaken. Understanding the urgency, they coordinated directly with emergency services and ensured she was taken to Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital without delay. One officer, she recalls, stayed with her like a father, escorting the ambulance and ensuring every second counted.

At the hospital, the emergency team moved with extraordinary speed. Cardiac checks were completed, surgeons were alerted, and within hours Sabine was taken into surgery. At eight in the morning, she underwent a five hour emergency operation performed by specialist Dr Georges Thomas, assisted by Dr Diego. The surgeons removed the ruptured section of the intestine entirely, cleaning extensive infection caused by the cancer perforation.

When she woke later that afternoon, the surgeons told her something that still echoes in her mind. They said that her survival was nothing short of a miracle. The level of hemorrhage and infection would have been fatal to almost anyone. What saved her, they explained, was her exceptionally strong heart and physical resilience.

At sixty seven years old, Sabine had lived a life defined by discipline and movement. She walked five kilometres every evening, swam three kilometres in the sea several times a week, and had never smoked or drank alcohol. Her sporting journey began in childhood, learning to swim at the age of one in the Congo, playing competitive tennis from the age of five, and later mastering golf during a decade in Australia. Doctors described her heart as comparable to that of a woman in her mid thirties.

For Sabine, this experience has reshaped everything. She speaks of faith with quiet certainty, believing she was given a second life for a reason. Every moment now carries weight. Every breath is purposeful.

Yet her journey remains far from over.

Following the surgery, doctors confirmed stage three cancer affecting her intestine and lymphatic nodes. While her liver, pancreas, and stomach were clear, immediate treatment is critical. She must be urgently repatriated to Belgium to undergo further intestinal reconstruction through laser surgery and begin chemotherapy without delay. Without treatment, doctors have warned her life expectancy could be reduced to just six months.

Although Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital saved her life through rapid and skilled intervention, Sabine was discharged after three weeks in intensive care while still extremely weak. She collapsed multiple times afterward due to dangerously low blood levels and had to be rushed back by ambulance on several occasions.

Despite everything, Sabine remains resolute. She speaks not with fear, but with determination. She believes deeply in giving back to society and continuing the innovative work she has dedicated her life to. Her mindset, she says, is simple. Surviving this was not the end of her story. It was the beginning of something stronger.

She also carries a message for others. Do not ignore your body. Even the strongest and fittest among us are not immune. The body speaks long before it breaks, and listening can save a life.

For those who wish to support Sabine in her journey toward treatment and recovery, contributions can be made by searching her name on GoFundMe. The funds are intended solely to support her immediate medical repatriation to Belgium and the life saving treatment that must follow.

Today, Sabine describes herself in one word.

Impossible.

Not because she defied the odds once, but because she refuses to stop fighting now.

This is not just a story of survival.
It is a reminder that life, when given back to us, asks only one thing in return.
To live it fully, bravely, and with purpose.

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