Natalie Barr said she became seriously ill with osteomyelitis in her spine at age 15. In an account attributed to a Sunday Life interview, she described two damaged vertebrae, two months confined to a hospital bed in Perth and treatment with high-dose antibiotics. PerthNow reported that she recovered without permanent damage.
What illness did Natalie Barr say she had?
Barr described the illness as spinal osteomyelitis. PerthNow’s 4 July 2023 article quotes her account to Sunday Life: “I got really sick with a disease in my spine called osteomyelitis. The bug had eaten two of my vertebrae and they were crumbling.”
She said she was 15 at the time. She also recalled serious back pain and the fear that she might not be able to walk again: “It was traumatic. I didn’t know if I’d be able to walk again.”
What treatment and recovery did she describe?
PerthNow reported that Barr spent two months confined to a hospital bed in Perth. According to the report, the Royal Flying Doctor flew her to a Perth hospital, where doctors identified the bacterial strain. She said she then received high-dose antibiotics for the next couple of months.
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The account includes a warning from an unnamed orthopaedic surgeon: “Lie down, or you’ll never sit up again.” PerthNow says Barr eventually recovered without permanent damage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where does the account come from?
The details come from PerthNow’s article, “Sunrise host Natalie Barr opens up about terrifying health issue suffered as a teenager,” published 4 July 2023. PerthNow attributes Barr’s recollections to an interview with Sunday Life. The report does not provide the interview’s publication date or full text.
This is a reported personal history, not an independently verified clinical account. The PerthNow report does not identify the bacterium, hospital or surgeon, and it does not include medical records. It establishes what Barr was reported to have said, rather than offering general medical guidance about osteomyelitis.
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