How Audrey Hepburn’s Health Struggled After Her UNICEF Mission

The cause of death of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn has been revealed.

After retiring from showbiz, Audrey Hepburn served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, dedicating her efforts to conflict zones and impoverished regions.

In October 1992, shortly after visiting Somalia, Hepburn sought medical attention in Los Angeles due to severe abdominal pain. Initially diagnosed with amoebic dysentery, she returned home but was hospitalized again the following day. During this visit, doctors informed her that she had “only three months to live.”

Hepburn was diagnosed with colon cancer, but it presented differently from typical cases. She underwent emergency surgery to remove her colon and uterus.

Reports indicated that Hepburn’s abdomen was filled with mucus during surgery, a condition known as “jelly belly” or pseudomyxoma peritonei. The peritoneum, a thin membrane, protects the abdominal cavity’s organs and prevents them from sticking together. Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare disease characterized by the accumulation of gelatinous, mucous-like substances in the abdominal or pelvic cavity, and it occurs more frequently in women.

This condition often originates in the appendix but may also develop secondarily from ruptured tumors in the ovaries or other intestinal organs.

Patients typically experience gas buildup, abdominal bloating, discomfort, and cramping. As the mucinous mass enlarges, symptoms of bowel obstruction may gradually emerge.

Audrey Hepburn passed away at the age of 63 on January 20, 1993, just a month after her surgery.

She spent her final years in the small Swiss village of Tolochenaz, enjoying nature. Hepburn regularly underwent health check-ups and adhered to an organic diet sourced from her home garden. Despite these efforts, she still developed cancer.

Dr. Lee Nak Jun, featured on the YouTube channel Doctor Friends, explains, “Cancer is like spinning the roulette of fate. Maintaining a healthy diet can reduce the area on the disc occupied by ‘cancer,’ but if luck is against you, even a small area can still be hit.”