View this post on Instagram[1]
As we look back on 2020, Bindi Irwin took the time to reflect on the ups and downs of the year in a heartwarming post on Instagram, and the mom-to-be's baby girl was definitely the highlight of her year. "Words seem to fall short when trying to describe this year," she wrote on 31 Dec. "For us, this year was filled with both tremendous joy and heartbreaking loss. Our Wildlife Hospital was the busiest it's ever been due to the Australian bushfires [3] that raged across the country. We worked hard to send support to the front lines of destruction. We have now treated over 100,000 patients since our Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital opened."
Bindi went on to say that 2020 marked Australia Zoo's 50th birthday, but doors were closed to thousands of guests as a result of COVID-19 regulations, reducing finances and putting a heavy weight on the future of the zoo. "Every moment of every day the question of when or if we would recover burned in the back of our minds," she said. "However, we were reminded that there is always hope on the horizon." Thanks to the help of many supporters, the zoo was eventually able to reopen its doors. A few important life milestones also made the year feel a little brighter.
A major 2020 highlight for Bindi was marrying her longtime partner Chandler Powell [5] and getting pregnant with her first child [6]. "We are patiently waiting for our gorgeous daughter to arrive. She's the light of our lives," the mom-to-be wrote, finding the positives in an otherwise hectic year. "I hope this next year brings some peace and we find a way to come together as a society," Bindi added. "Please remember to be kind to one another and find happiness in even the smallest of things."
See her full post here and check out more photos of Bindi and Chandler that will make you smile [7].
View this post on Instagram[8]