Gal Gadot had emergency surgery to remove brain blood clot while 8 months pregnant

30 December 2024, 20:42 | Updated: 30 December 2024, 20:55

Actor Gal Gadot has revealed that her baby daughter had to be delivered during emergency surgery earlier this year because a "massive blood clot" was found in her brain.

The 39-year-old shared a lengthy social media post, explaining that she had been experiencing excruciating headaches for weeks which meant she was 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 and said "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".

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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."

The Hollywood star said she was "rushed" to hospital and within hours she underwent emergency surgery.

She went on to say: "My daughter, Ori, was born during that moment of uncertainty and fear.

"Her name, meaning 'my light', wasn't chosen by chance."

Gadot has three other daughters with her husband Jaron Varsano, and said she told him before she went into surgery that their 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 added that the experience taught her a lot, and she stressed the life-saving important 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."

She said it was not a simple decision to share her experience, 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.