Bindi Irwin speaks out from hospital bed after medical emergency
Bindi Irwin is speaking out from her hospital bed following a medical emergency which forced her to miss the annual Steve Irwin Gala over the weekend.
The 26-year-old conservationist shared an Instagram video Monday night, saying she was recording the message about an hour after surgery.
"I had my appendix removed. I also had 14 new endometriosis lesions. They had to be removed and they kindly stitched up my hernia as well," Irwin said.
Irwin revealed she flew to New York City to get treated by doctors at Lenox Hill Hospital, where Dr. Tamer A. Seckin, a gynecologic surgeon, "could also check for endometriosis again," as she explained in her video caption, adding that, "surgery was a success."
The daughter of the late environmentalist and "The Crocodile Hunter" star Steve Irwin, also wrote that she needed to get treatment after experiencing "many months of a grumbly appendix."
Bindi Irwin's younger brother, Robert Irwin, previously told People that his sister's appendix ruptured, requiring surgery, and their mother Terri Irwin was taking time to be by her side.
"She's going to be OK, but surgery -- out of all the things we were ready for, that was not one of them," the 21-year-old said.
The Irwin family had traveled to Las Vegas to attend the May 10 charity event, which raises money for wildlife conservation efforts.
"She came to Las Vegas and was ready to come to the gala, put on a brave face in a lot of discomfort and a lot of pain and said, 'Nope, I'm just going to tough it out, I'm going to go for it,'" Robert Irwin recalled. "But the surgeon said, 'No, your appendix is going. That thing's gotta come out.' Health has to come first."
Robert Irwin attended the gala, held at the Bellagio Resort, solo, sporting a khaki suit and bowtie for the black-tie event and sharing photos and videos from the khaki carpet, including one in which he can be seen posing with a crocodile.
"The Steve Irwin Gala Las Vegas was a HUGE success. Once again, Vegas you brought the energy for an unforgettable evening," he wrote in an Instagram post.
"Thank you to everyone who joined us, to celebrate the greatest Wildlife Warrior on earth, and raise vital funds for conservation," he added, referring to his late father Steve Irwin, whose conservation legacy the family continues to champion today.
Bindi Irwin has opened up previously about her health challenges, going public in 2023 about receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis, a condition the World Health Organization defines as "a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus," which can cause pelvic pain and/or infertility, and depression and/or anxiety, among other life-impacting symptoms. The 26-year-old eventually underwent "extensive" surgery for the condition.
"Now I'm a completely new person," the mom of one said after the surgery. "I'm actually able to go on a walk with my family. I'm able to do the conservation work that I am so, so passionate about."
In her Monday post, Bindi Irwin said she had had 37 endometriosis lesions and a cyst removed two years ago.
ABC News spoke to Irwin's surgeon Dr. Seckin about the difficulty of diagnosing endometriosis previously.
"It doesn't show up in any imaging. And there's no blood test," Seckin said at the time. "Only by laparoscopy, we can really tell by looking inside directly with a camera, we can diagnose endometriosis."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, research suggests more than 11% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 may have endometriosis and the condition tends to be particularly common among women in their 30s and 40s and can make it difficult to get pregnant.
Irwin is currently "on the road to recovery" and thanking well-wishers for their "kind messages" and support.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm on the road to recovery. One step at a time and I'm so lucky to have so much love in my life from my beautiful family," Irwin said. "Sending love and light your way and we'll get through this."
