Bella Hadid 'finally healthy' after over 100 days of Lyme disease treatment, 15 years of 'invisible suffering'
American supermodel Bella Hadid said she's now "finally healthy" after undergoing treatment for Lyme disease for over 100 days, even as she was dealing with "15 years of invisible suffering."
Hadid on Instagram shared a photo of her medical records, as well as her candid photos in the hospital.
"[T]he little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself," she said in her caption, as she thanked her mother Yolanda Hadid "for keeping all of my medical records, sticking by me , never leaving my side, protecting, supporting , but most of all, believing me through all of this."
Lyme disease, which is mainly caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash.
If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
Hadid noted how living in such a state, which worsens with time and work—all while she tries to make her loved ones "proud"—had taken a toll on her in ways she can’t really explain.
"To be that sad and sick with the most blessings/privilege/opportunity/love around me was quite possibly the most confusing thing ever," she said.
In any case, the 26-year-old said she's already okay and her followers don't have to worry, and that she won't change anything for the world.
“If I had to go through all of this again, to get here, to this exact moment I’m in right now, with all of you, finally healthy, I would do it all again," Hadid said. "It made me who I am today."
She added that she couldn't be more grateful in this time of her life after getting her getting treated for her diseases.
"This 100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease, co infection treatment, almost 15 years of invisible suffering, was all worth it if I’m able to, God willing, have a lifetime of spreading love from a full cup, and being able to truly be myself, For the first time ever."
The American model told her followers that if ever they're struggling, "it will get better," as the universe "works in the most painful and beautiful ways."
"[T]ake a step away, stay strong, have faith in your path, walk in your truth and the clouds will start to clear up," she said.
It wasn't the first time Hadid spoke publicly about her health condition.
PEOPLE reported that in 2021, she posted about "living with a few chronic autoimmune disease," that she's "always finding time" for her intravenous lines or IVs. In 2016, she told PEOPLE that she has Lyme disease, lamenting how she's being "judged by the way you look instead of the way you feel."