Actress Gal Gadot, who gave birth to her fourth child earlier in 2024, revealed that she was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in her brain during the eighth month of the pregnancy in February.
“For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) that revealed the terrifying truth,” the star of the Wonder Woman movies (2017 and 2020) wrote on Instagram late on Dec 29.
“In one moment, my family and I were faced with how fragile life can be. It was a stark reminder of how quickly everything can change, and in the midst of a difficult year, all I wanted was to hold on and live.”
Gadot, 39, is married to film producer Jaron Varsano. They have three other daughters aged three, seven and 13.
“We rushed to the hospital, and within hours, I underwent emergency surgery,” Gadot wrote. “My daughter, Ori, was born during that moment of uncertainty and fear.
“Her name, meaning ‘my light’, wasn’t chosen by chance. Before the surgery, I told Jaron that when our daughter arrived, she would be the light waiting for me at the end of this tunnel.”
Thanking the team of doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, the actress said she has made it through and is on the road to recovery.
“Today, I am fully healed and filled with gratitude for the life I’ve been given back,” she wrote, alongside a photo of herself breastfeeding her baby.
She said the journey has taught her much.
“First, it’s vital to listen to our bodies and trust what it’s telling us. Pain, discomfort, or even subtle changes often carry deeper meaning, and being attuned to your body can be life-saving,” she said.
“Second, awareness matters. I had no idea that three in 100,000 pregnant women in the 30s-plus age group are diagnosed with CVT (cerebral venous thrombosis). It’s so important to identify early because it’s treatable. While rare, it’s a possibility, and knowing it exists is the first step to addressing it.”
She said she was sharing this not to frighten anyone but to empower.
“If even one person feels compelled to take action for their health because of this story, it will have been worth sharing,” she wrote.
Gadot, who stars as the Evil Queen in the upcoming American musical fantasy film Snow White, had hinted at a difficult pregnancy when she announced the birth of Ori in March.
“My sweet girl, welcome,” she wrote then. “The pregnancy was not easy and we made it through.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
