Bella Hadid has written an emotional post on her Instagram account, describing the profound effect Lyme disease has taken on her mum, Yolanda Hadid’s life.
In the post, which honours the release of her mother’s upcoming book ‘Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease’, the 19-year-old model shared the struggles her mother faced as well her determination to find a cure.
“I am also SO proud of my mom @yolanda.hadid today and everyday,” she writes. “This book marks such an incredible day for you.”
“I have seen you in bed, struggling for the past 5 years of our lives, thinking to myself ‘why would this happen to such an angel?’ I would cry to myself knowing that there was nothing I could do to help and that there were people going against you and what you are/were going through.”
“Incidents where you would be so sick, not being able to move your bones/body, and I would have to drive you to the hospital at 3 am so I could see you get a shot of something just like every other day you would have to do treatment.”
“You have been in more doctors labs and testing rooms every SINGLE day, then I have ever seen in my life… To find a CURE for people around the world.”
In the post, Bella also detailed her own struggled with the disease, which she says has prevented her from going to school and work.
“I have been struggling with Lyme and other co-infections for the past two years which has debilitated me from riding my horses, going to school, and struggling with work which are all the things I am so passionate about.
“You are the only person that would believe me and understand what I was going through. This book shows Kids and adults with Lyme across the world that you are not alone and we believe you!”
“I love you mommy.”
Yolanda, whose book isn’t due for release until early 2017, was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012 and in 2015 Yolanda revealed that Bella, and her youngest son Anwar, were also suffereing.
“Watching my brave babies suffer in silence in order to support me in my journey has struck the deepest core of hopelessness inside of me, it is because of them that I continue to fight relentlessly,” Yolanda wrote on Instagram.
“I will not allow them to live a life of pain and suffering… I will prevail and walk to the end of the earth to find a cure for them and millions of others debilitated by this invisible disease.”