Hailey Bieber on the 'silver lining' of her and Justin Bieber's health scares: 'We're closer than ever'
The Biebers have had a scary 2022. Hailey Bieber stopped by Live With Kelly and Ryan on Wednesday where she updated fans on their health situations. Hailey is still recovering from a ministroke she suffered in March while Justin Bieber was recently diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome that's causing facial paralysis.
"I'm OK, I feel good," the 25-year-old model told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, adding she's "still trying to give my body time to heal."
"I had something called a TIA, which is a ministroke," she explained. "I had a small blood clot that traveled through a hole in my heart that I was born with that never closed and went to my brain... I never knew I had a hole in my heart."
The Rhode beauty founder called it a "blessing in disguise" as the procedure closed the hole. "So now I have a device in my heart forever," she revealed.
The Biebers were in Palm Springs, Calif. when Hailey started having stroke-like symptoms.
"It happened very fast," she recalled. "The biggest thing that it affected was my speech. That was really scary. I knew what I was trying to say, but my tongue and my mouth couldn't form the sentences. And I had like facial drooping and for a couple of minutes. It was the scariest thing I've ever gone through for sure."
Hailey was unable to tell Justin to call 911, but he acted quickly.
"I was with Justin and he knew exactly what was happening," she shared.
As for Justin, "he is OK," Hailey said. The 28-year-old singer was forced to postpone multiple tour dates as he recovers from the virus, which is a shingles outbreak that affects the facial nerve near one ear. It's rare, especially in people under 60 according Mayo Clinic.
"He's doing well, he's getting better and better every day. He's going to be totally fine. This is just a really out of nowhere, weird situation. It takes time to heal from," Hailey explained.
Seacrest asked what Justin needs to do to get better.
"He has to just give himself time, really, more than anything. He does some facial exercises," she replied. "He's actually healing very, very quick, I'm happy about that."
Ripa remarked how the young married couple is "dealing with much older problems."
"We both are dealing with older illnesses for sure," Hailey laughed.
When asked whether she or Justin is a better caretaker, Hailey said she's "more regimented."
"I'm really on top of everything. But he took very good care — he slept with me in the hospital when I went through my situation, he was really there for me," she shared. "I think honestly the silver lining in the whole situation, what I went through, what he went through, is it really bonds you. I feel like we're closer than ever... I will take that away from everything."
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