In a recent interview to promote his effort to raise awareness about endometriosis since his sister Bindi’s diagnosis, conservationist Robert Irwin said that before she started receiving treatment, Bindi’s health was “going downhill fast,” People Magazine reported.
On Monday, the 19-year-old son of the late Australian TV personality Bill Irwin told the Australian morning show “Sunrise” that Bindi’s decade-long battle with endometriosis inspired him to help raise awareness about the disease.
Endometriosis is a condition in which uterine tissue develops outside of the uterus, causing severe cramps and chronic pain.
Irwin said the disease affects more women “than we realize.” He said like his sister, many women remain undiagnosed for years, forcing them to “live through really hellish conditions.”
He said before his sister began receiving treatment for the disease, she “was going downhill fast.” But once she “got the help she needed,” Bindi became a “new woman.”
It was Bindi’s marked improvement following treatment that prompted Robert to become “very vocal” to ensure that “all women” know about endometriosis.
In an interview in early May, Bindi Irwin told People Magazine that her endometriosis diagnosis taught her to “advocate” for herself.
Bindi said she struggled for ten years before she was properly diagnosed, adding that the disease often does not show up on scans. It wasn’t until she underwent exploratory surgery in December of last year that the doctors were able to diagnose the problem.
Bindi later revealed that doctors found 37 lesions on her uterus during the surgery.
The 24-year-old first revealed her diagnosis in an Instagram post in March.
In a follow-up video posted on Instagram, Bindi revealed that she first began experiencing symptoms of “extreme fatigue, nausea, and pain” when she was 14 years old. The symptoms grew more severe after she gave birth to her daughter in 2021.
