Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid revealed Sunday she is “finally healthy" after a decade-long battle with Lyme disease.
Hadid, 26, began her battle with Lyme disease in 2013.
She posted on Instagram that she "would do it all again" and that her lengthy medical battle gave her "so much gratitude for and perspective on life."
Hadid also posted photos of her medical records, which described symptoms including extreme exhaustion, muscle aches and chest pain.
Hadid's mom, Yolanda, and brother, Anwar, have also had the disease.
The model and influencer joins a fair number of other celebrities who have shared battles with Lyme disease.
Justin Bieber said he was diagnosed with the disease at the same time he contracted mono, which affected his "skin, brain function, energy and overall health," he wrote in Instagram in 2020 after fans commented on his appearance.
Singer Avril Lavigne said she was bedridden for two years because of the disease, and in 2020 she worked with the Global Lyme Alliance to host a live streamed concert to raise awareness.
Actors Amy Schumer, Alec Baldwin and Ben Stiller have also said they've dealt with Lyme disease, with Stiller saying he was infected on a trip to Nantucket.
Musician Shania Twain said chronic Lyme almost ended her music career after she was bitten in 2004 by a tick while on horseback.
What To Know About Lyme Disease
Accordingly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease, which is spread to humans through infected tick bites, impacts an estimated 476,000 Americans per year.
The number of counties considered to be at high-risk for the disease has tripled since 2000.
Early symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue and a target-like skin rash called erythema migrans, which usually drives people to explore treatment.
iIf left untreated, it can impact the heart, joints and nervous system.
The rise in Lyme disease cases is attributed to globalization as more people traveling to tick-infested areas leads to spread.
Climate change as more traditionally cold climates become warmer and more hospitable to ticks; and development as suburban sprawl into traditionally rural areas brings people, deer, rodents and ticks into closer contact.
There is no vaccine for Lyme disease on the market: The only approved preventative treatment, a vaccine called LYMErix, was pulled from the market in 2002 after the manufacturer cited insufficient consumer demand.
If caught early, Lyme can be treated with antibiotics either through an IV or in pill form in 10 to 14 days, but those with non-specific symptoms of long lasting Lyme can be left with no treatment options—most patients will recover from Lyme within a few weeks to six months, but some can experience symptoms that will stay with them for years.
Valneva and Pfizer are both conducting human trials on Lyme vaccines, while researchers from Yale University say they've had early success in animal studies with a vaccine that that teaches the body to recognize tick saliva, and researchers at the University of Massachusetts have developed a vaccine alternative designed to provide seasonal protection against Lyme disease.
Between $345 million and $968 million. That's the annual economic cost of Lyme disease in the United States, the CDC estimates.
The average cost to patients to be treated is $1,200 per infection. Those with later stages of Lyme often have more expensive healthcare bills than those who catch it early.
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