Supermodel shares secret battle with debilitating illness ‘destroying lungs’

Health & Fitness
22 Dec 2025 • 1:23 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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Supermodel Anok Yai has shared a health update during her secret battle with an illness "destroying my lungs".

Ms Yai, who was the second black model after Naomi Campbell to open a Prada show, underwent successful robotic lung surgery on Friday (19 December) to treat a congenital defect that was “overworking my heart”.

Congenital disorders are health conditions a person is born with, often caused by genetic issues or problems that occur during pregnancy.

Sharing videos from her hospital bed, the supermodel can be seen using a nebuliser and attempting to walk alongside a nurse.

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