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Supermodel Hailey Bieber recently took to Instagram to share a personal experience with her followers. The 26-year-old model posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed just moments after undergoing heart surgery.
Hailey, who will celebrate her fifth wedding anniversary this year with husband Justin Bieber, suffered a mini-stroke last year, which ultimately led her to a diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO).
What is PFO?
PFO is a small opening in the heart which often closes after birth. UCLA Health indicates PFOs do not cause strokes, but may increase the risk of stroke.
Hailey’s Mini-Stroke Experience Hailey’s experience with a mini-stroke began last year while she was sitting with her husband Justin at breakfast.
She suddenly started experiencing stroke-like symptoms, and was immediately taken to the hospital.
Hailey detailed how her fingertips began feeling “numb and weird,” and when her husband asked if she was OK, she said she “couldn’t speak.”
The right side of her face started drooping, and she couldn’t get a sentence out. She immediately thought she was having a stroke.
The cover girl endured a series of medical tests overnight as doctors attempted to rule out the possibility of a stroke, and ultimately said she suffered from a TIA — transient ischemic attack, which is commonly referred to as a mini-stroke.
“They found I had suffered a very small blood clot to my brain, which caused a small lack of oxygen, but my body had passed it on its own and I recovered completely within a few hours.
The Procedure
Hailey underwent a procedure to close the hole in her heart, and shared with her followers that it went “very smoothly.”
Although she suffered from anxiety afterward over the possibility of another small stroke happening in the future, she added, “The biggest thing I feel is I just feel really relieved that we were able to figure everything out, that we were able to get it closed, that I will be able to move on from this really scary situation and just live my life.”
Hailey’s Health Update and Justin Bieber’s Health Scare
Hailey is now one year post-surgery and feeling “strong and healthy.” She shared that she is grateful for the amazing doctors and nurses who took care of her during the ordeal.
Three months after Hailey’s scare, Justin shared a video with fans which showed the right side of his face was paralyzed. Bieber was officially diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
The virus attacked the nerve in the singer’s ear and face, according to Justin. Months later, he canceled the rest of his Justice World Tour to “make my health the priority right now.”
