Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- The health of Ariel Sharon -- a highly decorated if controversial Israeli military figure whose time as prime minister was ground to a halt by an incapacitating stroke -- has taken a turn for the worse , a hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday . The 85-year-old 's life is in danger as he battles serious kidney problems , Israeli media -- including state radio -- reported , citing `` sources . '' Sharon 's medical condition has worsened `` in the last few days , '' according to Sheba Medical Center spokeswoman Amir Maron . Sharon has been in a coma since January 2006 , when he suffered a major stroke that led doctors to put him under anesthesia and on a respirator . His family planned to meet at the Israeli hospital Saturday to mark the eighth anniversary of his hospitalization , reported Israel 's Channel 10 TV , a CNN affiliate . Born in 1928 in Kfar Malal -- a community that would later become part of Israel -- Sharon began working with the Haganah , a militant group advocating for Israel 's independence , after graduating from high school in 1945 . After a year of studies at Hebrew University , he began his rise through the Israeli military ranks in 1953 , including helping establish an elite commando unit and various promotions up to the army 's major general . He held this rank during 1967 's Six-Day War , which ended with Israel notably , if controversially , expanding its territory . Sharon went on to play major roles in subsequent Israeli military conflicts as well , including as head of the Army 's Armored Reserve Division during the 1973 Yom Kippur War . He then began segueing into government , including stints as Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 's military adviser , agriculture minister and defense minister from August 1981 to February 1983 . His actions in this last post led many in the Arab world to label him the `` Butcher of Beirut . '' Sharon orchestrated Israel 's invasion of Lebanon , an effort aimed at Palestine Liberation Organization fighters that also left hundreds of Lebanese civilians dead . An official Israeli inquiry found Sharon indirectly responsible for the September 1982 killings of as many as 2,000 Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps outside of Beirut , Lebanon . The report -- which led to Sharon 's prompt resignation -- determined the then-defense minister did nothing to stop Christian militiamen allied with Israel from entering the camps , despite fears they might seek to avenge the killing of their leader the previous day . Sharon did not stay out of the spotlight for long , with his adviser Ranaan Gissin saying `` he felt betrayed by his government . '' He sued Time for a magazine article implying that he had foreknowledge and a greater role in this massacre , with a jury later finding the U.S.-based publisher guilty of defamation but not of malice . Sharon went on to hold a several other Cabinet posts from 1984 to 2001 , when he won a special election to become prime minister . By then , as head of the Likud party , Sharon was considered a hawk . And early on , he took the offensive by sending tanks and troops into Palestinian territory and ordering the assassination of militant leaders . But Sharon also took steps toward peace , such as agreeing with PLO leader Yasser Arafat on a timeline to halt Israeli-Palestinian violence and resume peace talks -- only to have this effort undermined by his own party , which backed a resolution to never allow the creation of a Palestinian state . Sharon later participated in talks with regional and world powers to discuss a `` road map '' for Middle East peace . Immediately after he fell ill in early 2006 , his power was transferred to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert . Surgeons removed 20 inches of his intestine the following month and , that April , Israel 's Cabinet formally ended his run as prime minister after declaring him permanently incapacitated . The former prime minister 's health has fluctuated during the time he has been in the coma . In January 2013 , doctors said testing on Sharon indicated some brain activity when he was shown photos of his home and heard his son 's voice . Sharon brain results not proof he 'll wake up .
The ex-prime minister 's condition worsened `` in the last few days , '' a hospital official says . Reports : Sharon 's life in danger due to kidney problems , sources say . Sharon , a decorated war vet before being elected , has been in a coma since 2006 . Affiliate : His family was set to visit Saturday on the 8th anniversary of hospitalization .