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Bindi Irwin has shared a candid health update with fans — marvelling at the progress she has made since undergoing surgery last year to treat endometriosis.
In March 2023, Irwin told of her battle with the debilitating condition, which affects one in nine women, for the first time.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bindi Irwin speaks at the Blossom Ball in New York.
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The conservationist was in New York where she was honoured with a major award at the annual Blossom Ball on Friday for raising awareness about endometriosis.
“If you had asked me a couple years ago if I would be standing here, I wouldn’t have believed you in a million years,” she told Access Hollywood.
“Endometriosis was taking over my life and every day felt like just getting one foot in front of the other.”
“Now to be on the other side of surgery, the gratitude that I feel in my heart is overwhelming.
“To be here tonight at the Blossom Ball celebrating (not just) the wins for endometriosis but also to bring awareness for girls and women around the world who are in desperate, desperate need of treatment and care and validation, that’s why we’re all here.”
Irwin is among the estimated one in nine women who suffer from the debilitating condition endometriosis, in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the womb, sometimes moving to other areas of the body.
Its nature keeps many women from talking openly about it or seeking medical advice.
Irwin took to the stage to receive the 2024 Endometriosis Foundation of America’s Blossom Award.
Her mother Terri Irwin and brother Robert Irwin supported her at the black-tie event at Gotham Hall in Manhattan.
Later taking to Instagram, the 25-year-old said it was a “tremendous honour” to accept the award.
“While I am deeply humbled to be part of such an important night, a year on from my surgery, I am here on behalf of the millions of my fellow women and girls who are drowning in their pain caused by this devastating disease,” she wrote on Sunday.
“After sharing my story, I have heard countless stories from others battling with this disease. I am reminded just how strong the human body and spirit can be.
“I will spend the rest of my life trying to raise awareness and hopefully help others who are fighting insurmountable personal battles with endometriosis.
“This disease takes away so much and can feel impossible to overcome. My heart breaks for the countless people who haven’t been able to receive the medical help they need.”
Irwin spoke out about her endometriosis battle in March 2023 and has since been providing regular updates.
The conservationist said at the time that she felt a “responsibility” to share her journey, aware of the “millions of other women struggling with a similar story”.
“I battled for a long time wondering if I should share this journey with you in such a public space. It came down to the responsibility I feel to share my story for other women who need help,” she wrote on Instagram in 2023.
“For 10 years I’ve struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain and nausea.
“Trying to remain a positive person and hide the pain has been a very long road. These last 10 years have included many tests, doctors visits, scans, etc.”
Irwin said that doctors told her that the pain was something she should “deal with as a woman”.
“I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain. I didn’t find answers until a friend Leslie Mosier helped set me on a path of regaining my life,” she said.
“I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis. 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.”
Endometriosis is diagnosed through a surgery called laparoscopy — otherwise known as keyhole surgery — where a tiny camera is sent into the pelvic region through a small incision.
It aims to investigate and remove any of the tissue that’s causing pain.
“To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep and difficult to remove, and a chocolate cyst,” Irwin revealed.
Following specialised treatment and surgery, the conservationist later told People that she felt “like I have a second chance at life … I feel brand new”.
“It’s not like a light switch, but every week I feel like I’m able to do a little bit more,” she told the publication.
“Now I wake up in the morning, and I don’t have to take anti-nausea medicine or have my heat pack.
“Being able to go for a walk with my daughter and not feeling like I have to throw up in the bushes is just wild to me.”
Irwin and her husband Chandler Powell have a daughter, Grace Warrior, 3.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis affects one in nine people with female reproductive organs.
It can leave those affected in so much pain that they are unable to participate in work, social and other life commitments.
“Endometriosis is a common disease in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it in other parts of the body,” Endometriosis Australia said on its website.
“Whilst endometriosis most often affects the reproductive organs, it is frequently found in the bowel and bladder and has been found in muscle, joints, the lungs and the brain.”
There are two main problems that occur with endometriosis, for which there is no cure — pain and infertility.
Other symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Pain that stops you on or around your period
- Pain during or after sex
- Heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding
- Pain with bowel movements
- Pain when you urinate
- Pain in your pelvic region, lower back or legs
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