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Bindi Irwin’s brother, Robert, revealed that his sister was unable to attend the annual Steve Irwin Gala on Saturday (10 May) after her appendix ruptured.
The 26-year-old was due to attend the event in Las Vegas, honouring her later father, but her brother, 21, said that she was forced to undergo surgery on her appendix instead. This comes just two years after she revealed that she had been suffering from endometriosis for the past 10 years.
Robert Irwin told People: “She's going to be OK, but surgery - out of all the things we were ready for, that was not one of them. She’s just come out the other side of endometriosis and now the appendix goes. Health is so important – it really is.”
He continued: “Bindi has become an incredible advocate for women's health, particularly, and I think it’s really important to prioritise getting help.”
Robert revealed that Bindi was initially determined to come to the gala but that her surgeon advised her against attending the event telling her: “No, your appendix is going. That thing’s gotta come out.”
“She’s very sad. She’s devastated that she and Mom can’t be here, but I know she’ll make a speedy recovery,” her brother added.
Just a day before, the Australian had posted an image of herself and her brother with their mother Terri in Las Vegas where she expressed her excitement ahead of the gala.
Irwin wrote on Instagram: “Khaki by day - Bellagio chic by night! Here in Las Vegas for the Steve Irwin Gala raising funds and awareness for Wildlife Warriors. Supporting conservation and remembering Dad’s extraordinary legacy. Enormous gratitude to everyone for your support as we continue to do all that we can to protect wildlife and wild places for the future generations.”
Appendicitis is caused by bacteria collecting in the appendix, causing infection and abdominal pain. In rare cases the appendix may burst, releasing the bacteria into the abdominal cavity causing peritonitis, which can be fatal.
Doctors suggest treating patients with suspected appendicitis with antibiotics and "watching and waiting". If there is no improvement in 48 hours, the patients should have surgery.
In August 2023, the conservationist said that her doctors initially missed her first symptoms of endometriosis before her eventual diagnosis.
“I was tested for everything,” she said at the time. “Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable.”
The zookeeper went on to describe how her doctors dismissed her symptoms, as her pain was still continuing and explained how the experience impacted her.
“It’s so hard because you feel like it’s inescapable,” she said. “You don’t know what’s wrong with you, and then when people tell you ‘It’s all in your head’ or ‘you’re hormonal’ or ‘just have a cup of tea, lay down,’ you end up feeling so desperately alone because there’s no answer.”
According to the World Health Organization, endometriosis is “a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus,” with symptoms including “severe, life-impacting pain during periods, sexual intercourse, bowel movements and/or urination”.
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