Terri and Robert Irwin on Bindi’s Endometriosis
Bindi Irwin received the Blossom Award at the Endometriosis Foundation of America’s 12th annual Blossom Ball earlier this month. The Blossom Award is a recognition of advocacy efforts to spread awareness about endometriosis — a serious lacuna that exists despite the disease affecting nearly 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. Mother Terri and brother Robert talked about Bindi’s endometriosis.
Bindi was born to famous wildlife conservation enthusiasts Steve and Terri Irwin. Bindi is a Wildlife Warrior and continues her parents’ legacy towards protecting the natural world and running several conservation programs.
Introducing her daughter, Terri Irwin remarked how eventful Bindi’s life had been since her childhood. Bindi won her first Daytime Emmy when she was age 9 but things started to change soon after.
Terri recalled how suddenly, at age 14, Bindi showed signs of slowing down.
“She would just fall asleep wherever she was,” Terri said.
Medical consultations yielded no tangible results and her symptoms remained largely undiagnosed. Terri even recollected how she participated and won in Dancing with the Stars while continuing to experience symptoms of endometriosis.
Bindi’s daughter Grace was born when she was 22, after which the severity of her symptoms further increased. It was only when Bindi’s brother Robert Irwin had a chat with Leslie Moser that endometriosis became a possibility.
Bindi underwent laparoscopic deep excision surgery under the expert hands of Dr. Tamer Seckin. She had 37 endometriosis lesions removed, which helped drastically improve her symptoms.
Support from men is crucial in managing endometriosis
Speaking alongside Terri, her son Robert said he was thankful for the role Terri and Bindi played in his life.
Robert said seeing Bindi’s endometriosis journey was both devastating and inspiring at the same time.
“It was incredibly hard to see someone we love so dearly in so much pain every single day”, he said.
However, things started to become clear once endometriosis was confirmed. He also quipped that he could never imagine the pain that Bindi went through.
Men have a key role in helping women cope effectively with endometriosis. This awareness has to begin from an early age. This is because endometriosis is prevalent among adolescents and even in children as young as age 8.
EndoFound’s ENPOWR outreach program helps create awareness about endometriosis in adolescents in schools and colleges. It encourages adolescents to seek proper medical recourse instead of relying on advice alone. Participation of adolescent males is a key part of this initiative. It helps them learn more about menstruation and develop empathy and care towards women.
This education becomes even more important in dealing with more critical aspects such as sex life. One of the cardinal symptoms of endometriosis is dyspareunia or painful intercourse, which can affect the relationship.
Talking about endometriosis within the family can sensitize both daughters and sons towards the disease and enable them to be part of a vital support system.
Are you or is your partner affected by endometriosis? Please do not hesitate to share your experience with others by leaving a comment on our post on Facebook or Instagram if you wish.
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