Gal Gadot says her baby daughter had to be delivered during emergency surgery earlier this year after a “massive blood clot” was discovered in the actress’s brain.
The 39-year-old shared a long post on social media, saying she had been suffering from excruciating headaches for weeks, which left her bed-bound, before an MRI scan in the eighth month of her pregnancy revealed “the terrifying truth”.
Gadot announced the birth of her fourth baby girl in March, saying at the time “the pregnancy was not easy”.
She said she had now decided to talk about the experience to “raise awareness and support others who may face something similar”.
Alongside a photo of her cradling the baby in her hospital bed, Gadot wrote: “In February, during my eighth month of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in my brain.
“For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth.
“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.”
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The Hollywood star said she was “rushed” to hospital and within hours she underwent emergency surgery.
She went on: “My daughter, Ori, was born during that moment of uncertainty and fear. Her name, meaning ‘my light’, wasn’t chosen by chance.”
Gadot, who has three more daughters with her husband Jaron Varsano, said she told him before the surgery that their new daughter would be the “light waiting for me at the end of this tunnel”.
She said she is now “fully healed” and “filled with gratitude” for her life thanks to the help of the medical team who supported her.
She said the experience had taught her a lot and flagged the life-saving importance of listening to your body.
Gadot said she had not been aware of the chances of developing cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) for pregnant women in their 30s, which she said was three in 100,000 per year.
She said raising awareness of the condition was key: “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.”
Gadot said she’d wrestled with herself over whether to reveal such a personal story, but added: “Sharing this is not meant 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.”
Gadot married property developer Varsano, 49, in 2008, and the couple have four daughters, Alma, 13, Maya, 7, Daniella, 3, and 10-month-old Ori.
