The 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit' model shared a health update on Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 15
Bianca Balti has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
On Sunday, Sept. 15, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, 40, shared a health update on Instagram that featured pictures and videos from a recent hospital visit. "Last Sunday, I checked myself into the ER to find out that my lower abdominal pain was stage 3C ovarian cancer," she began her caption.
"It’s been a week full of fear, pain and tears but mostly love, hope, laughter and strength," Balti continued, telling her fans to "check these pics out for proof."
"I have a long journey ahead, but I know I will beat this," she wrote. "For myself, my loved ones (my daughters are at the top of the list), and all of you who need strength, you can borrow some of mine cause I have loads."
Balti concluded her update, "Life happens; give it a reason. So far, cancer has given me a chance to find beauty through life’s hurdles."
Her post included a beautiful bouquet and selfies of loved ones visiting her at the hospital along with the hospital staff. Balti also shared videos of herself going to and from different hospital rooms with IV poles.
In one clip, she gave her followers a post-operation update. "I am doing so much better and I am blessed that I found out," she said, adding that she underwent surgery and has chemotherapy coming up.
She also said that she has "high hopes for everything."
A series of chance encounters in late 2022 led Balti to get her genes evaluated, and she discovered she is a carrier for the BRCA1 gene. She learned she had a 50 percent chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer, along with a 30 percent chance being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
In December 2022, she underwent a preventative double mastectomy.
“I wasn't sick, yet — but I knew the chances were much higher that I would be one day. And I now had the free will to do something about it,” she told Vogue in March of the operation.
“The hardest part of this entire process has been the fear,” she told the publication. “Of finding out the diagnosis, the unknown, of taking time off work, of not knowing how my body will look.”
Balti is mother to Matilde, whom she shares with ex-husband Christian Lucidi, and Mia, whom she shares with husband Matthew McRae. The two got married in a courthouse in 2016 and had a large wedding celebration the following year.
The Quran - Chapter Nuh: 08 - 10
Then I certainly called them openly,
then I surely preached to them publicly and privately,
saying, ‘Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, ˹for˺ He is truly Most Forgiving.
