Brussels, Belgium – Veerle Hegge, wife of Belgian politician bart de Wever, has publicly revealed her battle with anorexia, detailing a harrowing experiance that brought her within days of death. Hegge’s story, shared in a new book and reported by DHnet.be, sheds light on the debilitating eating disorder and the underlying trauma she confronted during her recovery.
Hegge’s struggle began approximately two years ago, initially sparked by joining her husband in a diet. However, the situation rapidly escalated, rooted in unresolved childhood sexual abuse she had long kept silent about. According to the report, Hegge’s condition deteriorated to a critical point where her potassium levels became dangerously low, leaving her just two days from death, according to medical professionals.
“The chief doctor came to see me: ‘We must speak,'” Hegge recounted, recalling a conversation on June 24th, seven days before her hospitalization.Despite the gravity of her condition, she initially struggled to grasp the severity, continuing to work and teach even as her health rapidly declined. The following day, a doctor bluntly warned her, “You can die at any time.”
Throughout her illness, Hegge balanced the demands of motherhood with supporting her husband’s political career. She described her relationship with de Wever as one of quiet support: “Bart and I are not always a couple of many words, but we are there for each other and it gives a good feeling. And this feeling is still there.”
While still on the path to recovery - acknowledging that enjoying foods like fries without guilt remains a future goal – Hegge hopes sharing her story will destigmatize anorexia and encourage others to seek help. “The more taboo something remains, the greater the loneliness, and the more anorexia can settle,” she stated. Her message concludes with a plea for self-compassion: “That they are indulgent towards themselves. Whether it’s a fall of falls and covers. And then it will eventually go. I think.”
