Bindi Irwin is one of the many celebrities who has been extremely candid about her gruelling journey with endometriosis in order to shed more light on the disease.
After years of unexplainable pain, fatigue, cramping and nausea, the Wildlife Warrior finally underwent “extensive” surgery in early 2023, which confirmed her endometriosis diagnosis.
When news broke in May 20205 that she had been taken to the hospital for emergency surgery, many speculated that it was related to her endometriosis diagnosis. However, it was appendicitis.
In May 2024, she received the 2024 EndoFound Blossom Award from the Endometriosis Foundation of America and in her acceptance speech, she spoke about how the disorder had ruled her life.
“My pain escalated to new heights. It utterly consumed my life,” she shared.
“I vividly remember lying on the floor with my daughter next to me, and she was crying and crying because she didn’t know what was wrong with me. And all I wanted was to be there for my daughter. But endometriosis was sucking away every last piece of joy and my ability to function in life.”
“I hated looking in the mirror, because all I could see was the pain, and I felt like I had lost myself. And now I feel like I’m gaining my sense of self again. I’m realising that I am so much more than my pain, and that’s something we all have to remember,” Bindi continued.
“All my endometriosis was removed, and today I feel more alive than I have since I was a tiny child. I can genuinely laugh again and enjoy hugs from my family and friends.”
Endometriosis is tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, that grows outside of the uterus. The then-25-year-old had 37 lesions removed.
“When I got out of surgery, the first thing [the surgeon] said to me was: ‘How did you live with that much pain?'” An emotional Bindi told Good Morning America in her first TV interview following the surgery in October 2023. “That validation meant so much to me.”
After noticing worrying symptoms in her early teens, Bindi visited different doctors. She underwent tests for cancer and had numerous ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs.
“The scariest thing was that there were no answers,” she said.
Bindi, who welcomed her first daughter, Grace, in 2021, also recalled the “severe, unexplained pain” throughout her pregnancy journey. Pain to the point she thought she was miscarrying.
“I thought I was losing our beautiful daughter,” said Bindi, who shares Grace with her husband, Chandler Powell.
“We’re so lucky to have Grace. So many women can’t fall pregnant due to problems with endometriosis.”
Following the surgery, Bindi feels like a “completely new person”. The daughter of Steve Irwin described being able to run and play with her daughter and carry out conservation work like never before.
Bindi first revealed her journey to getting diagnosed with endometriosis in March 2023.
“A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman, and I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain,” Bindi wrote on her Instagram at the time, eventually deciding to have surgery.
“Going in for surgery was scary, but I knew I couldn’t live like I was. Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain.”
The 26-year-old ended the post by urging people to be “gentle” with the women in their lives.
“Pause before asking me (or any woman) when we’ll be having more children. After all that my body has gone through, I feel tremendously grateful that we have our gorgeous daughter. She feels like our family’s miracle.”
