Gal Gadot Reveals She Had a 'Massive Blood Clot' in Her Brain During Pregnancy: 'All I Wanted Was to Hold on and Live'
Gal Gadot is opening up about a life-threatening health crisis she experienced while pregnant with her fourth child.
The Wonder Woman actress, 39, detailed the “terrifying” event in an Instagram post on Sunday, Dec. 29, revealing that she was diagnosed with a “massive blood clot” in her brain during her eighth month of pregnancy.
“For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth,” the star wrote. “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.”
Gadot shared that she was rushed to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and also gave birth to her daughter Ori, now 9 months old, during the procedure in March.
“Her name, meaning ‘my light,’ wasn’t chosen by chance," Gadot wrote of Ori. "Before the surgery, I told [my husband] Jaron that when our daughter arrived, she would be the light waiting for me at the end of this tunnel."
Gadot then went on to thank the “extraordinary team of doctors” at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles.
The Heart of Stone actress — who wrote in the post that she is now “fully healed” — urged people to listen to their bodies.
“Pain, discomfort or even subtle changes often carry a deeper meaning, and being attuned to your body can be life saving,” she continued, adding that “awareness matters.”
“I had no idea that 3 in 100,000 pregnant women in the 30s+ age group are diagnosed with CVT (develop a blood clot in the brain). 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 wrote.
The mother of four reassured her fans that she did not intend to “frighten anyone" with her post, but rather hopes to “empower" them.
“If even one person feels compelled to take action for their health because of this story, it will have been worth sharing,” she concluded, while noting that she hopes sharing her personal experience will pull “back the curtain on the fragile reality behind the curated moments we share on social media.”
The Red Notice actress also shared the post on her Instagram Stories and included a link to an informational page about strokes from the American Heart Association.
Gadot initially announced the birth of her fourth child on Instagram in March, though she made no mention of the harrowing medical situation at the time.
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“My sweet girl, welcome,” Gadot captioned a photo of herself cradling Ori in a hospital bed at the time.
“The pregnancy was not easy and we made it through," she continued, adding, "You have brought so much light into our lives, living up to your name, Ori, which means ‘my light’ in Hebrew. Our hearts are full of gratitude. Welcome to the house of girls.. 👯♀️👯♀️ daddy is pretty cool too 😉❤️."
Gadot, who is married to film producer Jaron Varsano, is also mom to Alma, 13, Maya, 7, and Daniella, 3.
Gal Gadot reveals she underwent emergency surgery for brain clot just after welcoming her 4th child
Gal Gadot is opening up about how she survived a “massive blood clot” in her brain during her most recent pregnancy.
Gadot recalled the experience in a post shared on Instagram Sunday, writing that she was eight months pregnant when she received the diagnosis and that her fourth child was born before she underwent emergency surgery to treat it.
In February, Gadot wrote, she was diagnosed with the blood clot after weeks of enduring “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,” she wrote. “We rushed to the hospital, and within hours, I underwent emergency surgery. My daughter, Ori, was born during that moment of uncertainty and fear.”
Gadot went on to share that her daughter’s name means “my light,” and that before the surgery she told her husband that “when our daughter arrived, she would be the light waiting for me at the end of this tunnel.”
She thanked her team of doctors who helped treat her at Los Angeles’ Cedars Sinai Medical Center, saying that because of them she “made it through” and is on the road to recovery.
The “Wonder Woman” star wrote that she wanted to share her story to encourage her followers to listen to their bodies and to spread awareness about the importance of taking action.
“As we celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday of light and miracles, I reflect on the personal miracle I was granted. My daughter, Ori, is a constant reminder of resilience, hope, and the strength we carry within,” she wrote. “My wish is that we all find our light, experience our own miracles, and continue to advocate for our health and for one another.”
Gadot announced Ori’s birth in March. Gadot and her husband, Jaron Varsano, are also parents to Alma, born in 2011, Maya, born in 2017 and Daniella, born in 2021. The couple has been married since 2008.
3 Things to Know About Gal Gadot's 4 Kids
Gal Gadot and her husband, Jaron Varsano, are parents to four daughters
