Bella Hadid has given fans a deeply personal glimpse into her long and painful battle with Lyme disease, sharing images from her hospital bed that reveal the raw reality of living with the chronic illness.

The 26-year-old supermodel, who was first diagnosed in 2013, has been candid over the years about the debilitating symptoms that have affected her career and her everyday life. Now, together with her mother, Yolanda Hadid—who also lives with the condition—Bella is once again using her platform to raise awareness and push for progress toward better treatment.

“Watching my Bella struggle in silence has cut the deepest core of hopelessness inside me,” Yolanda wrote in a heartfelt caption accompanying the hospital images. “There simply aren’t words big enough for the darkness, the pain, and the unknown hell you’ve lived through since your diagnosis. You didn’t really live. You learned how to exist inside the jail of your own paralyzed brain.”

Yolanda, who has long spoken about her own journey with Lyme, said the hardest part of her battle has been seeing her children also suffer. Bella’s younger brother, Anwar Hadid, has reportedly faced the same diagnosis, while their sister, Gigi Hadid, remains unaffected but deeply committed to supporting her family.

“It’s been really hard for me because I’m the only one who doesn’t really understand it,” Gigi admitted in a past interview. “My sister, my brother, and my mom have all struggled through it. For me, the hardest part is trying to be their hope and their strength even with a disease I can’t fully understand because I haven’t been through it.”

For Bella, the illness has meant years of exhaustion, pain, and medical treatments that have at times left her bedridden. Despite the struggles, both she and Yolanda have remained determined to shed light on Lyme disease, calling for more research and accessible treatment options.

“This motivates me every day to wake up and make sure we fight for change,” Yolanda explained. “These children don’t deserve this, and we need to make a cure affordable for all.”

Bella’s openness is a reminder of the invisible battles so many face. While she has walked some of the world’s biggest runways, her reality off-stage has often been one of silence and suffering. By sharing her story, Bella continues to shine a light on a disease still widely misunderstood—and in doing so, she gives strength to others living the same fight.