It’s International Women’s Day, and Terri Irwin is praising one inspiring lady in her life: her 24-year-old daughter Bindi Irwin! The wildlife conservationist recently shared how proud she is of Bindi, who she shares with the late Steve Irwin, and it’ll squeeze your mama heart (in a good way!).
“I am so proud of you, @BindiIrwin,” Terri wrote on Twitter. “You have the strength and determination of a true warrior.”
She continued, “You stayed the course, and you never gave up. May women everywhere have the courage to advocate for their health & healing. You are a beacon of light for us all.”
Are you crying yet? These moving words are in response to Bindi’s vulnerable post yesterday, where she revealed that she underwent surgery in the U.S. to address her endometriosis.
“For 10yrs 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,” Bindi wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. She explained that after “many tests, doctors visits, scans” and doctors telling her it was “simply something you deal with as a woman,” she sadly gave up for a while.
“I didn’t find answers until a friend helped set me on a path of regaining my life. I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis,” the Crikey! It’s the Irwins star went on. She explained that “every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain.” Bindi continued, “To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst.”
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Bindi Irwin Opens Up About Finally Getting Care for Her Endometriosis: 'Validation for Years of Pain is Indescribable'
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A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)
Finally discovering getting validation on her health journey and discovering a reason for her pain has been “indescribable” to her.
“Validation for years of pain is indescribable. My family & friends who have been on this journey with me for 10+ years — THANK YOU, for encouraging me to find answers when I thought I’d never climb out,” she said. “Thank you to the doctors and nurses who believed my pain. I’m on the road to recovery & the gratitude I feel is overwhelming.”
Bindi also shared a note for those who weren’t as supportive of her chronic (and rightfully private) health journey.
“To those questioning the cancelled plans, unanswered messages & absence — I had been pouring every ounce of the energy I had left into our daughter and family,” Irwin said, referring to her 23-month-old daughter Grace Warrior, who she shares with husband Chandler Powell.
“Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someone’s life, however, that is not always the case,” she said. “Please be gentle & 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.”
Please, please, please heed her message. Don’t ask anyone about their reproductive choices or speculate on a woman’s body! Showing compassion for others, even without knowing what they are going through, is so important.
Terri wasn’t the only one to praise Bindi’s strength during her long health journey. Her brother Robert Irwin also wrote to his sister on Instagram.
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A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)
“Bindi, I’m so proud of you. It’s been a long battle through a decade of pain, but you are finally on the road to recovery,” the 19-year-old wrote. “I’m so happy you can have your life back. Endometriosis is a horrible, crippling disease and too many women endure this in silence, or are never even diagnosed.”
He went on, “Bindi, your story of resilience is a beacon for women around the world who are suffering – and it’s a wake up call for men too. It’s *everyone’s* responsibility to be allies for womens health and help spread awareness. You never know who’s suffering in silence, let’s make this a topic that we all freely talk about. http://www.endofound.org”
Powell also wrote a sweet message to his wife. “You are my inspiration to be as strong as I can be in every aspect of life. Seeing how you pushed through the pain to take care of our family and continue our conservation work while being absolutely riddled with endometriosis is something that will inspire me forever.”
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A post shared by Chandler Powell (@chandlerpowell)
He went on, The greatest gift of all is knowing that you’re out the other side of surgery totally free of endometriosis. I cannot wait to embark on this new chapter of life with you.”
Bindi commented, “Thank you. For everything.I love you and Grace with all my heart.”
Terri is such a supportive mom and grandma. She told PEOPLE in Oct. 2022 that she hopes Grace becomes “a changemaker for women,” adding, “I would like her to have the opportunity to be a role model through her specific passions in life. Whatever her chosen field, I hope to be able to give her the tools and confidence to be a leader and an inspiration for other girls.”
She wants Grace to follow her dreams and more. “Not only do I believe she can achieve her dreams, I want to encourage her to achieve goals that are even beyond what she dreams possible!” Terri added.
The love this family has for each other is truly inspiring.
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