Bindi Irwin is opening up about her decision to announce her endometriosis diagnosis and what helped her push through the fear of going public with her personal story.
On Friday, May 3, Irwin attended the EndoFound's 12th Annual Blossom Ball at Gotham Hall in New York City alongside her brother, Robert, and her mother, Terri.
The event raises funds for endometriosis—a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus and, as a result, causes severe pelvic pain, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)—education, outreach and research with the hopes of, one day, finding a cure.
Irwin attended the event as the first international public figure to receive the 2024 EndoFound Blossom Award, People reported back in February. Other honorees include singer Halsey and actors Lena Dunham and Fran Drescher.
While walking the red carpet, Irwin spoke to People exclusively, opening up about her personal decision to share what she referred to as her "painful" journey.
"It was quite tricky deciding whether or not I should tell my story," she told the publication. "Talking about endometriosis—it's challenging because it's the most personal you can get."
The conservationist went on to say that sharing her story meant publicly discussing "every little health detail," including "fertility problems, IBS symptoms, fatigue, and the nausea and the pain that comes with endo."
"And my fear was not knowing what would happen when I stepped off into that world of sharing my journey," she continued. "But what drove me forward was hopefully helping other people, to reach out to other people who are in a similar situation, and maybe giving them that strength to find answers for themselves if they are dealing with unbelievable pain for no reason."
Back in March 2023, Irwin posted a candid photo of herself in the hospital, announcing her diagnosis and endometriosis treatment.
"I battled for a long time wondering if I should share this journey with you in such a public space," she wrote in the caption. "It came down to the responsibility I feel to share my story for other women who need help."
At the time, Irwin explained in the caption that for 10 years she had "struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain and nausea," and at the same time was "trying to remain a positive person and hide the pain."
"A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman and I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain," she continued. "I didn’t find answers until a friend @lesliemosier helped set me on a path of regaining my life. I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis. Going in for surgery was scary but I knew I couldn’t live like I was. Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain."
Irwin then revealed that during surgery, doctors found "37 lesions—some very deep and difficult to remove—and a chocolate cyst," adding that her doctor's first words to her while in recovery were: “How did you live with this much pain?”
"Validation for years of pain is indescribable," she added.
Speaking to People, Irwin's brother, Robert, called his sister "one of the bravest people I know."
"When you finally started finding those answers, it just meant so much to all of us to have the Bindi that we know back in action as the most determined, graceful under pressure person there is," he said at the time. "The endometriosis discussion, it's still something that, particularly in Australia, isn't being talked about widely.
"So we all need to have these really important conversations, make this mainstream and help so many other women that are going through this because there's so many women that would have no idea what's happening," Robert added.
