'Real Housewives' star describes ‘helplessness' seeing daughter suffer
The mother and daughter have both been diagnosed with the same chronic illness.
Dutch TV personality Yolanda Hadid first rose to fame as a model before appearing on 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' from 2012 to 2016.
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She is also the mother of supermodel daughters Bella and Gigi Hadid and son Anwar Hadid.
Yolanda has been very open and honest about her battle with chronic neurological Lyme disease after receiving her diagnosis in 2012. While she is still campaigning for a cure for the disease, she has taken a step back from sharing her own personal struggles.
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In 2015, Yolanda shared the devastating news that two of her children, Bella and Anwar, had also contracted chronic Lyme disease.
Since then, Bella and her mom have documented their journey fighting this invisible disability.
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Mayo Clinic defines Lyme disease as "an illness caused by borrelia bacteria. Humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria. Ticks that can carry borrelia bacteria live throughout most of the United States. It's also common in Europe and in south central and southeastern Canada."
In severe cases, it can spread to the nervous system and is called neurological Lyme.
Recently, Yolanda shared a post on Instagram where she opened up about her personal battle and praised her daughter for her strength.
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Her post shines a light on the intensity and struggle her daughter is facing while receiving treatment.
She posted a series of pictures showing her daughter in the hospital, during what seems to be a recent flare up.
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In her caption, she writes: "As you will understand, watching my Bella struggle in silence has cut the deepest core of hopelessness inside me. The invisible disability of chronic neurological Lyme disease is hard to explain or understand for anyone. I try to lead by example on our Lyme journey but my own pain cannot compare to watching my baby suffer.”
She continued, saying she is still determined to find an affordable cure for everyone.
Read the rest of her emotional caption to her daughter below:
Bella also shared a health update on her personal Instagram and apologised for her recent absence from the public eye.
The model has since been spotted in Paris, a week after her mother's post.
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The symptoms of Lyme disease can appear in stages or overlap.
Stage 1: Early symptoms appear within 3 to 30 days after the tick bite. A rash is a common sign of Lyme disease but doesn't always appear.
Other early symptoms:
- Fever
- Headache
- Extreme tiredness
- Joint stiffness
- Muscle aches and pains
- Swollen lymph nodes
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Stage 2: Without treatment, Lyme disease can get worse. The symptoms often appear within 3 to 10 weeks after a tick bite.
- Many rashes on other parts of the body.
- Neck pain or stiffness.
- Muscle weakness on one or both sides of the face.
- Immune-system activity in heart tissue that causes irregular heartbeats.
- Pain that starts in the back and hips and spreads to the legs.
- Pain, numbness or weakness in the hands or feet.
- Painful swelling in tissues of the eye or eyelid.
- Immune-system activity in eye nerves that causes pain or vision loss.
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Stage 3: In the third stage, you may have symptoms from the earlier stages and other symptoms. Symptoms begin 2 to 12 months after the tick bite.
- In the United States, the most common condition of this stage is arthritis in large joints, particularly the knees. Pain, swelling, or stiffness may last for a long time, or the symptoms may come and go.
- The type of Lyme disease common in Europe can cause a skin condition called acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. The skin on the backs of the hands and tops of the feet becomes discoloured and swollen. It may also appear on the elbows and knees. More serious cases may damage tissues or joints.
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Image: Yolanda Hadid/Instagram