Sara was born on Dec. 4, 1979, while her mother was in a brain-dead state following a series of brain tumor operations, france3-regions.franceinfo.fr reported.
Her mother suffered a car accident at age 20 that required six surgeries. Years later, while pregnant with Sara and a twin sister, the mother experienced severe headaches that doctors identified as brain tumors and cerebral decerebration.
Medical staff kept her body under somatic maintenance for several days to sustain the twin fetuses. Sara was born critically ill alongside her sister.
“Je suis née presque morte. On m’a réanimée pendant plus de cinq minutes, et ma sœur jumelle est intubée,” Sara told france3-regions.franceinfo.fr.
Her biological mother died following the delivery. At four months old, Sara’s father partnered with a new woman who became her adoptive mother.
Sara did not learn the true circumstances of her birth until she turned 10 years old. Her twin sister discovered a confidential file inside a bedroom wardrobe.
“On découvre justement qu’il y a un rapatriement de corps à l’étranger dont l’époux était mon papa,” Sara told france3-regions.franceinfo.fr, recounting the moment she learned the woman she called mother was not her biological parent.
She spent years trying to meet the expectations of her adoptive mother, hiding her own needs to stave off a deep-seated fear of abandonment. A persistent sense of emptiness accompanied her into adulthood, influencing her career and social interactions through constant overadaptation.
The dynamic shifted three years ago when her adoptive mother died. That loss removed the emotional barrier that had dictated her behavior for decades.
“C’est comme s’il y avait une armure ou une cloche qui s’est brisée. Je me suis sentie fragile,” Sara told france3-regions.franceinfo.fr.
She initiated regular therapeutic sessions and pursued a professional retraining in psychology. She also detailed her experiences in a published book titled Naître autrement and currently raises a daughter of her own.
“Aujourd’hui, je peux dire oui, j’existe,” Sara told france3-regions.franceinfo.fr.