Bindi Irwin details 'debilitating agony' she faced in heartbreaking speech

Publish date: 2024-06-01

Bindi Irwin has opened up about the ways her endometriosis "utterly consumed" her life after doctors "dismissed" her pain. 

The conservationist, who underwent surgery in 2023 to remove 37 lesions and a cyst, spoke as she received the 2024 EndoFound Blossom Award from the Endometriosis Foundation of America in New York City on Friday, May 3.

Telling the audience how her periods would come with “debilitating agony with no end in sight," she said things got worse after she welcomed her daughter Grace, three, in 2021. 

“My pain escalated to new heights. It utterly consumed my life,” she bravely shared. “I vividly remember lying on the floor with my daughter next to me, and she was crying and crying because she didn't know what was wrong with me. And all I wanted was to be there for my daughter. But endometriosis was sucking away every last piece of joy and my ability to function in life.” 

However, following her surgery, Bindi shared that she is "no longer a shadow of myself". 

"I hated looking in the mirror, because all I could see was the pain and I felt like I had lost myself. And now I feel like I'm gaining my sense of self again. I'm realizing that I am so much more than my pain, and that's something we all have to remember," Bindi continued. 

“All my endometriosis was removed, and today I feel more alive than I have since I was a tiny child. I can genuinely laugh again and enjoy hugs from my family and friends.” 

Bindi then offered up a devastating anecdote that revealed the lengths endometriosis can impact a person, saying: “For years, hugs hurt and my pain took away my sense of humor and joy. Laughing hurt. Without thinking, I asked my husband the other day, 'have you always been this funny?' My poor husband, he's so wonderful. He laughed out loud. And then I started laughing because the reality had finally set in that I'm able to revel in life again." 

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is the name given to the condition where cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body. 

Each month these cells react in the same way to those in the womb, building up and then breaking down and bleeding. 

However unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape. The chronic and debilitating condition can affect people of a childbearing age, and may lead to infertility, fatigue and bowel or bladder problems.

What are the symptoms of endometriosis?

Symptoms can vary in intensity from one woman to another, and the level of pain experienced does not always correspond to the severity of the condition. Classic symptoms include –

Others may notice symptoms of irritable bowel, irregular bleeding and 'spotting' or bleeding between periods.

How do you treat endometriosis?

While there is currently no cure for endometriosis, many people find relief from their symptoms through hormone treatment or pain relief. Others undergo surgery to remove the endometriosis and release scar tissue. Many people with the conditions also find their symptoms improve with complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy and reflexology, while a change of diet has also been found to have positive benefits including reducing or cutting out intake of red meat, wheat and dairy products.

Bindi tied the knot in 2020 with her childhood sweetheart Chandler Powell in a deeply sentimental ceremony at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, which was founded by Bindi's great-grandparents, Bob and Lyn Irwin. 

Bindi's father was Steve Irwin, known globally as the Crocodile Hunter, a beloved conservationist and animal lover, who died in 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a Stingray. 

Bindi and Chandler have since welcomed daughter Grace, who was born on their first wedding anniversary.

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