Charlie Barbie
Courtesy of Charly Barby/InstagramAmerica’s Favorites: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders star Charlie Barbie tells about surviving a pulmonary embolism.
“(On) 6 May 2024 developed a pulmonary embolism in my left lung which ended up changing my life,” Barbie, 23, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, December 5. “I was lucky enough to get medical attention in time before the unthinkable happened.”
A pulmonary embolism is defined as a blood clot that stops blood flow to an artery in the lung, according to the Mayo Clinic. If left untreated, the condition can be life-threatening.
“Blood clots, their risks and symptoms are not talked about enough. Before this happened to me, I had no idea blood clot severity to say the least,” the NFL cheerleader wrote. “The timing of it was extremely difficult and the mental battle I was fighting was just as hard as the physical one.”
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders star Charlie Barbee has officially made the team! Charlie, 23, was featured in last month’s Netflix docuseries about the 2023-2024 cheer team. from the auditions to the end of the NFL season. Charlie made it through training camp only to be cut in the final round. Like (…)
Barbie added: “Going through this has taught me to never take anything for granted, how much I love to dance, the power of prayer and how important it is to take care of yourself and most importantly LISTEN to your body.”
Barbie was diagnosed in May, shortly before she auditioned to become a DCC for the second time. (As described on Netflix America’s Favoritesshe failed to make the 2023 team, but did earlier this year.)
“This has had a big impact on my journey to becoming a DCC,” she noted in her upload. “When that dream came true, I wanted to live in the happiness of it and later share my story at a time that felt right.”
Barbie’s post correlates with her “My Cause My Boot” campaign, part of her duties with the Cowboys organization. She chose to represent the National Blood Clotting Alliance.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders reality show shed light on the 2023 season — and now that the 2024 season is underway, fans want to know who’s still on the team. Netflix released a seven-episode docuseries about the women behind DCC in June, following veteran cheerleaders and rookies trying to impress director Kelly Finglas, (…)
A month before the diagnosis, Barbie went on a trip to Hawaii. After her return, she became ill with a 103 degree fever. Doctors tried to diagnose her condition, prescribing various antibiotics.
“One of the telltale signs was that every tendon in my body blew up like a balloon,” Barbee recalled. “I was on my way to tendonitis caused by this drug. I couldn’t walk because of the size of my ankles and it felt like every joint in my body was attacking itself. My back was in so much pain that I couldn’t jump, go over bumps, or do any activity that made gravity weigh me down.”
At first, Barbie thought she had deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that usually forms in the leg or pelvis and affects only one side of the body.
“I believe I originally started with a DVT clot but it was too late to tell as it was already in my lung,” she explained in her post. “I’m very lucky not to have surgery.”
Barbie has now been on blood thinners for six months “and counting.”
“(I) continue to learn more as well as be tested for other underlying conditions in addition to Factor V Leiden,” she concluded. “But today I feel better and healthier than ever!!”
