Supermodel Anok Yai has opened up about a serious health diagnosis, which is "slowly destroying" her lungs.
Over the weekend, the Model of the Year winner shared a candid post on Instagram, penning, "For the past year, I've been dealing with this silent battle. I incidentally found out I had a congenital defect overworking my heart and slowly destroying my lungs."
The carousel of clicks and videos showed Yai lying in a hospital bed at New York University Langone Health in NYC, and in one clip she could be seen taking a walk with a nurse's help while visibly struggling to breathe.
In some snaps, she could be seen reading books, enjoying a Christmas movie and inhaling from an oxygen machine as she recovered from surgery.
"What started as something asymptomatic for the majority of my life turned into a lingering cough, which turned to chest pains, bouts of coughing up blood, then at times, struggling to breathe," the 28-year-old continued.
She shared that she was working while dealing with her condition and finding the right doctor and time, writing that she "realized there was never going to be a 'right time' — my health would continue to worsen."
Although the model did not disclose her exact diagnosis, she revealed that she underwent robotic lung surgery, a minimally invasive lung operation technique that utilises small incisions and a robotic system to perform the surgery.
"I've always thought I could outwork or outrun anything," she added, "but the universe has a way of slowing you down and waking you up."
In her post, Yai also took a moment to thank her surgeons, as well as the facilities where she has received treatment for her condition.
Notably, Anok Yai accepted the title of Model of the Year at the 2025 Fashion Awards, which took place at London's Royal Albert Hall on December 1.
