Bella Hadid and brother Anwar battle chronic Lyme disease, mother says

NEW YORK, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Bella Hadid and her brother Anwar both battle chronic Lyme disease, their mother Yolanda Foster revealed Thursday night.

While accepting the "Power of One" award from the Global Lyme Alliance in New York, Foster said she and her two youngest children were diagnosed with the tick-borne disease in early 2012.

"Watching my babies struggle in silence in order to support me in my journey, struck the deepest core of hopelessness inside of me," the 51-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said.

"I don't deserve this award," Foster said. "This award is for Anwar and Bella. This is my token and my promise to you that I will not allow you to live a life of pain and suffering. I will walk to the end of the earth to find a cure so that you can live a healthy life that you deserve."

Known for her transparency regarding her battle with Lyme disease on social media, Foster revealed more details about how the bacterial infection affected her family life at the Global Lyme Alliance inaugural gala.

"I am so sorry for all the important things I have missed in your life these past four years," she said. "I used to be a pretty cool, smart, multi-tasking, kick-ass mom. But all three of you, all three of my children really got short-changed with a dumb blonde in the white robe, that mostly lives her life in bed."

Both Bella Hadid and Anwar Hadid were in attendance at Thursday's event, their eldest sister Gigi Hadid was also there, having delivered an introduction speech ahead of her mother's reception of the award.

"I remember when she was going into the first season of filming, she said to me, 'I don't know why this show was brought to my life, but for some reason, I think it will lead to something bigger," 20-year-old Hadid said of her mother.

"She realized that she could use this platform of this world-famous television show to spread awareness. She was honest, unapologetic, and raw in how she portrayed Lyme disease on social media and on the show from the second she announced to the world she had been diagnosed."