Australian television personality, conservationist, zookeeper, and actress Bindi Irwin revealed on Wednesday, March 8, that she underwent surgery for endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition affecting the uterus. The celebrity has finally opened up after a decade-long battle with the disease.
On International Women’s Day and Endometriosis Awareness Month, Irwin shared on social media her struggles. She continually struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain, and nausea. She added that a doctor once told her that it was simply something women have to deal with. This subsequently made her give up on trying to function through the pain.
Endometriosis is a condition wherein the tissue that lines the uterus grows outside of it, according to the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms of the disease can include pelvic pain, heavy bleeding during periods, and fertility issues.
Irwin said that doctors found 37 lesions, some of which were “very deep and difficult to remove“. However, she is now “on the road to recovery.” She added that she shares her story for those who are silently suffering from pain and have no answers. She hopes that it would serve as validation that their pain is real and that they deserve help.
Approximately one in 10 people born with a uterus has endometriosis, affecting around 190 million women and girls worldwide, as reported by the World Health Organization. Irwin’s family showed their support for her after she shared her story on social media.
Her husband, Chandler Powell, said that seeing how she pushed through the pain to take care of their family and continue their conservation work while being riddled with endometriosis is something that will inspire him forever.
Irwin is a celebrity conservationist who has starred in “Crikey! It’s the Irwins,” a reality TV show. She won “Dancing With the Stars” in 2015 and comes from a family of conservationists, including her father, Steve, who was killed by a stingray while filming in the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.
She gave birth to a daughter, Grace, in March 2021. Irwin reminds everyone to be gentle and pause before asking any woman when she’ll be having more children. After all that her body has gone through, she feels tremendously grateful that they have their gorgeous daughter, who feels like their family’s miracle.
