Bella Hadid gives insight into her experience living with Lyme disease, an aggressive bacterial infection that causes severe symptoms. The worldwide supermodel, known for her remarkable beauty, has worked for numerous high-end designers and has been part of iconic fashion shows, occasionally opening up about her daily struggle with this disease.
The 23-year-old took to social media and shared a graphic in her Instagram Stories by author Joudie Kalla about Lyme disease, pointing out the list of symptoms and describing that every day she feels “at least ten of these attributes without fail,” including headaches, brain fog, insomnia, fatigue, light and noise sensitivity, anxiety, mood disorder, irregular heartbeats, difficulty breathing, difficulty exercising, nausea, and joint pain.
The face of Dior Makeup was diagnosed in 2012 with chronic Lyme disease, which at the moment ruined her professional horse-riding career, after winning national awards and even training for the Olympics, ultimately making her give up her dream and focusing on modeling. Bella’s mom, Yolanda Hadid , had described the emotional decision her daughter had to take due to several symptoms and her inability to ride, “this was the biggest heartbreak of her life and an extremely sensitive subject for her.”
Bella recalls noticing the aggressive symptoms when she was in high-school, interfering with her daily life, and has talked about a time when she “couldn’t get out of bed for six days.” Both Yolanda and Anwar Hadid also struggle with this infection, however they have been able to raise awareness and stay positive.