Gal Gadot reveals she had emergency brain surgery on blood clot during pregnancy
Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has opened up about how she suffered a blood clot during her recent pregnancy, which led to her needing emergency surgery.
Gadot gave birth to her fourth child with her husband, Jaron Varsano, in March. However, in a new Instagram post, the actor has revealed the difficulties that she faced in the final trimester of her pregnancy.
“In February, during my eighth month of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in my brain,” Gadot shared alongside a photo of her and her daughter in a hospital bed. The actor continued: “For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth.”
She said the health scare was a lesson to her family and herself about “how fragile life can be”, adding, “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 was “rushed” to hospital after the blood clot was diagnosed ahead of receiving emergency surgery.
The Hollywood star said she was “rushed” to the hospital, and within hours, she underwent emergency surgery. Thankfully, the procedure was a success, and she chose to name her daughter Ori, which means ‘my light’ that Gadot says “wasn’t chosen by chance”.
Gadot has come forward to encourage others to raise awareness of cerebral venous thrombosis, which she says affects three in 100,000 pregnant women in their 30s and 40s. However, cerebral venous thrombosis only affects one per 100,000 pregnant women under 30. She states, “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.”
In 2020, a study published by Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders said that several factors can lead to cerebral venous thrombosis being more prominent in women in their 30s and 40s, including the use of oral contraceptives.
“Sharing this is not meant to frighten anyone but to empower,” she also told her Instagram followers. “If even one person feels compelled to take action for their health because of this story, it will have been worth sharing.”
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