Anok Yai has broken her silence and shared a poignant journey of resilience and hope. The supermodel recently revealed that she has been battling a serious health condition, which led doctors to uncover a congenital defect that was silently plaguing her.
"For the past year, I've been fighting this silent battle," Anok wrote on Instagram on December 19th. "I found out by chance that I had a congenital defect, overworking my heart and slowly destroying my lungs."
"What started as something asymptomatic for the majority of my life turned into a lingering cough, which then turned into chest pains, bouts of coughing up blood, and at times struggling to breathe," she continued. "I chose to work through this while trying to find the right doctor and the right time. But I quickly realized there was never going to be a 'right time' - my health was only going to worsen."
The 28-year-old, who just won Model of the Year at the 2025 Fashion Awards on December 1st, added that she is now in recovery following a successful surgery on her lungs. "I've always thought I could outwork or outrun anything, but the universe has a way of slowing you down and waking you up," she wrote. "So yesterday, I had a successful Robotic Lung Surgery thanks to Dr. Robert Cerfolio and his gracious and talented team, who I am forever indebted to for giving me more time."
Anok shared photos and videos of herself in a hospital bed surrounded by her family, along with her post, and went on to thank the medical professionals who have been looking after her. "And I am forever grateful for Dr. Harmik Soukiasian and everyone at @beverlyhillsconciergehealth for discovering my condition," she said. "Thank you to all the doctors and amazing nurses at @nyulangone."
Anok, who was born in Egypt to refugee parents who had fled conflict in Sudan before moving to the United States, where she grew up, also made sure to express her gratitude for her loved ones who have been there to support her through her health challenges. "And thank you to my friends and family for being the first thing I saw when I woke up," she wrote. "For now, I'm healing...but I'll be back. See ya."
Many of Anok's celebrity friends showed their love in the comment section of her post, with Naomi Campbell writing, "Sending you love. Light and healing. May God cover and protect you." WNBA star Angel Reese also commented, saying, "Praying for you my sweet love. You are strong and will win this battle. I love you sister."
