Bella Hadid says she's finally healthy after battling Lyme disease for 15 years

Bella Hadid took to Instagram on Sunday, August 7, to provide a much-anticipated health update for her fans and those who have shown concern during her battle with Lyme disease. Expressing appreciation, Hadid acknowledged her family, doctor, and nurses for their unwavering support throughout her challenging journey with Lyme disease.

The 26-year-old model used Instagram to share an extensive post, featuring multiple images of her undergoing treatment. She announced her state of "finally being healthy," a triumphant milestone after over a decade of grappling with various health difficulties, including "more than 100 days of Lyme, chronic disease, co-infection treatments, and nearly 15 years of concealed suffering." In a poignant caption, she adds, "The younger me who endured so much is now looking up to the person I've become, proud that I persevered."

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is an infection that is caused when an infected tick bites a human, and this tick carries the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This illness can cause joint pain and is usually treated with antibiotics. The symptoms of Lyme disease vary and they can evolve through stages and includes : reddish rash, fever, headache, body and joint aches, fatigue and more.

Hadid conveyed her gratitude to her mother, recognising her role in this challenging journey. Yolanda Hadid, Bella's mother, was herself diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, along with Bella's brother, Anwar. Yolanda Hadid's struggle with Lyme disease was openly discussed, notably during her time on the reality TV series "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

Bella Hadid reflected on her journey and came out as a true fighter and said she would "go through all of this again" as this ordeal has made her who she is today. 

In a follow-up Instragram post, the Victoria's Secret Angel thanked her pet dog and captioned it, "And God Bless my Angel Glizzy P Beans aka Petunia aka Beans For never leaving my side not for one second."

 

In July, Bella Hadid revealed that she had taken some time off because her Lyme diease had flared up and she had been getting daily treatment for for the past four months. 

A source close to the model clarified with Entertainment Tonight, "Bella is taking some much-deserved time off to treat her Lyme disease. She is not in rehab and has never had an alcohol or drug problem." Another source said that Hadid has been sober for nine months now (since January). Some false reports had suggested that she was in rehab.

Last week, Bella's supermodel sister, Gigi Hadid also shared an Instagram story where she explained that her sister had completed her "long and intense treatment for Lyme disease". Gigi exclaimed that she was so proud of her younger sister and was excited for her to comeback.

This is the first time that Bella Hadid has spoken about her health struggles and shared that her life is not all that glam as it seems. She has previously opened up in a post, "Living with a few chronic autoimmune disease = always finding time for my IVs."

In 2016, Hadid had a candid conversation with PEOPLE magazine about facing her health issues, Lyme disease, while working as a professional model and said, "Life isn't always what it looks like on the outside. The hardest part of this journey is to be judged by the way you look instead of the way you feel."

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