Bindi Irwin Says She Can ‘Laugh Again’ After Endometriosis Surgery: ‘No Longer a Shadow of Myself’

“All I wanted was to be there for my daughter. But endometriosis was sucking away every last piece of joy and my ability to function in life," Irwin said

Bindi Irwin is passing on a message of hope for people dealing with endometriosis.

The 25-year-old conservationist opened up about her journey with the disease and the difference she’s seen since she received treatment for it as she received the 2024 EndoFound Blossom Award from the Endometriosis Foundation of America in New York City on Friday, May 3.

“I am no longer a shadow of myself,” Irwin said at the event. “I hated looking in the mirror, because all I could see was the pain and I felt like I had lost myself."

"And now I feel like I'm gaining my sense of self again,” she continued. “I'm realizing that I am so much more than my pain, and that's something we all have to remember.”

Related: Bindi Irwin Reveals What Drove Her Forward Through ‘Personal’ and ‘Painful’ Endometriosis Journey (Exclusive)

Irwin went on to detail her own painful experiences with endometriosis, a reproductive condition in which uterine tissue grows outside the uterus, which can cause severe pelvic pain and fertility issues.

Noting that she would get periods with “debilitating agony with no end in sight," Irwin said she had seen doctors who had previously “dismissed” her condition, and the pain only got worse after she welcomed her daughter Grace Warrior, 3.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“My pain escalated to new heights. It utterly consumed my life,” she recalled. “I vividly remember lying on the floor with my daughter next to me, and she was crying and crying because she didn't know what was wrong with me.”

“And all I wanted was to be there for my daughter,” Irwin continued. “But endometriosis was sucking away every last piece of joy and my ability to function in life.”

The mom of one also told the audience at the Blossom Gala that it wasn’t until her friend shared her own story with endometriosis that the conservationist finally figured out what was happening to her and prompted her to seek treatment.

Related: Bindi Irwin's Daughter Grace Helps Dad Chandler Powell Build a Sandcastle at the Beach in Sweet New Video

She previously revealed in a PEOPLE cover story in August 2023 that she underwent a laparoscopy to diagnose intra-abdominal diseases, which confirmed that she had endometriosis. It found 37 lesions and a cyst on her ovary, which were later taken out via surgery.

“All my endometriosis was removed, and today I feel more alive than I have since I was a tiny child,” Irwin said in her speech on May 3. “I can genuinely laugh again and enjoy hugs from my family and friends.”

“For years, hugs hurt and my pain took away my sense of humor and joy. Laughing hurt,” she further explained. “Without thinking, I asked my husband the other day, have you always been this funny? My poor husband, he's so wonderful. He laughed out loud. And then I started laughing because the reality had finally set in that I'm able to revel in life again.”

The Crikey! It’s the Irwins star also shared that she hopes her story will give others the “validation that their pain is real” — despite others who may say otherwise, and that “they deserve answers” to their pain.

She went on to thank the Endometriosis Foundation of America for the honor and even shared a sweet shout-out to her daughter, saying, “You are my reason for being. And when I look at you, I know the meaning of life. Thank you so much.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.