Nearly two decades after a horror accident that almost killed Neighbours star Madeleine West, the actress is marking the occasion with an inspirational Instagram post.
WATCH: Madeleine West talks open relationships
Uploading a photo featuring the injuries she sustained when she was a hit by a bus in 2002, the 39-year-old said the incident forced her to change her thinking when it came to her looks.
“Today I’m celebrating 18 years since being hit by a bus in the head…always wanted to be the kind of girl who stopped traffic. Just preferably not with my face,” she began the lengthy post.
“This pic was snapped on the road to healing, but doesn’t reveal the three skull fractures leaking brain fluid, the cerebral hemorrhage and hematoma, the busted teeth, broken capillaries, the wounds that wouldn’t knit, the endless nights of excruciating pain, the months of therapy to regain gross motor skills,” Madeleine added.
“But it demonstrates what I thought was the greatest tragedy: the effect it had on my #appearance. However: that would be the greatest #gift.”
Madeleine went on to say that thanks to the accident, she realised her looks are only a “tiny portion” of who she is and she was doing herself a disservice to value this superficial element of herself above everything else.
“What kind of world do we live in if everyone slices and dices the essence of who they to allow their most definitive character trait to be their appearance?” she pondered.
“I learned that no-one should ever be forced to give up their dreams. No matter who we are, where we come from or how we look, our dreams are what sustain us.
“Our ambitions get us out of bed in the morning, and if you have the #courage, the #determination, the drive, and the willingness to work hard to transform the dream into reality, then nothing can stop you … not even a #bus.”
She encouraged any of her followers that are obsessed with grooming, making themselves “Insta-ready” or “editing those selfies” to “call BS” on those ideals.
The mother-of-six ended her post by writing, “The glass ceiling is yours for the breaking, and at the end of the day, the most attractive quality you can possess is belief in yourself.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
