Supermodel Bella Hadid has explained that her absence from key fashion events this year is likely to continue, saying in an emotional Instagram post on Sunday (local time) that she will return to the runway when she's "ready" after seeking treatment for ongoing health problems.
Alongside a series of pictures showing herself receiving what appear to be medical treatments, Hadid wrote: "Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me, proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I can't really explain."
She added that she was "okay," "finally healthy" and "wouldn't change anything for the world… it made me who I am today."
Hadid has said previously that she has Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can commonly cause symptoms of fever, chills, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, neck stiffness, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue and a rash. She told Vogue last year her symptoms began in eighth grade.
In April, Hadid said on TikTok she had a tooth infection that led to health complications, and in her most recent post, she described "15 years of invisible suffering."
An estimated 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say this is probably an overcount because people are sometimes treated without official confirmation that they have the disease.
Left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system, according to the CDC.
In Sunday's post, Hadid thanked her "mommy… for sticking by me," as well as her agents, employers, supporters, "genius Dr" and "her INCREDIBLE team of nurses."
"I'll be back when I'm ready. I miss you all so much."
She dedicated a separate post to her dog, saying: "And God Bless my Angel Glizzy P.Beans aka Petunia aka Beans for never leaving my side, not for one second [sic]."
Although the photos Hadid shared depicted her at vulnerable points, she said she "tried to pick the most positive pictures… because as painful as this experience was, the outcome was the most enlightening experience of my life filled with new friends, new visions and a new brain."
CNN
