Jackie ‘O’ Henderson reveals she had devastating abortion in her 20s with her ex-husband Lee Henderson: ‘My son would be turning 23 this year’
As a compassionate observer, it is heart-wrenching to witness Jackie’s struggle with addiction, stemming from her battle against Endometriosis and exacerbated by the isolation of the pandemic. Her resilience is evident in her journey, as she bravely confronted her addiction and sought help at The Betty Ford Clinic, a renowned center for treating Hollywood stars.
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has shared that she underwent a heartbreaking termination of pregnancy in her twenties, while in a relationship with her former spouse, Lee Henderson.
49-year-old radio host shares deeply personal account of a difficult choice in her recently published memoir entitled “The Whole Truth.
In approximately 2001, during her early stages of romance with a UK photographer named Lee, she found herself unexpectedly pregnant at the age of roughly 26.
In a heartfelt message, Jackie conveyed that she and Lee arrived at the challenging choice of terminating their pregnancy since they both felt unprepared to take on parenthood.
Jackie revealed, “I found myself unexpectedly expecting, dealing with morning sickness. Yet, I couldn’t have been further from being prepared for the journey of motherhood.
Jackie mentioned that even though she and Lee were set to get married in 2003, they considered themselves as individuals who were still maturing and evolving. They didn’t believe they were ready to take on the responsibilities of parenthood at that point in their lives.
In a moment of great difficulty, she chose to make the decision that seemed appropriate, despite her emotions. She explained that we simply weren’t prepared, at least not yet.
Jackie reminisced about the complex feelings she wrestled with during her visit to the family planning clinic in Woollahra, as she explained the procedure.
She mentioned that she spent around ten minutes in the waiting area prior to undergoing a surgical abortion, a procedure where the pregnancy tissue is vacuumed out and typically takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
She penned down, ‘Everything moves so swiftly, so matter-of-factly, so devoid of emotion. One moment you’re asleep, the next – it hits you emotionally. I can confidently say that I cried back then, and if I reflect on it today, even for a brief instant, I find myself tearing up once more.’
Jackie openly acknowledges that she continues to feel deeply affected by her past abortion experience even today, and this emotional impact has grown stronger since becoming the mother of her 13-year-old daughter, Kitty, whom she had with Lee in 2010.
She frequently ponders about the path not taken as she observes Kitty maturing, acknowledging that although she has no regrets about her choice, it was not an easy one to make.
She shared, “I strive to avoid excessive self-criticism, yet annually I find myself calculating. For some reason, I’ve always envisioned him as a male child. This year, he would have been twenty-three,” she concluded.
Jackie sorrowfully expressed her concern that she might face some sort of repercussion, possibly infertility, when discussing her journey of accepting the decision she made regarding the termination of pregnancy.
She went on to open up about the difficult time she had when she struggled to fall pregnant years later and said she was ‘thankful’ Lee suggested they try IVF.
Later on, the broadcaster was delighted to welcome her child, Kitty, whom she had with Lee in 2010, following multiple attempts with In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to conceive.
In 2018, Lee and I parted our paths after 18 years shared, an event I’ve detailed in my recent memoir due to the tumultuous nature of our separation.
They frequently argued, and Jackie felt that her individuality was slipping away. Ultimately, they found it necessary to part ways after a tough choice.
For the first time in The Whole Truth, Jackie openly shared about her long-hidden battles with substance abuse, involving drugs and alcohol, which she had fought in secrecy for numerous years.
In the aftermath of my divorce from Lee in 2018, I found myself slipping into a destructive addiction. And, during the challenging times of the Covid-19 lockdown, I unfortunately fell back into old habits once more.
In the midst of her struggle with addiction, Jackie would consume approximately 10 to 12 Stilnox/Zolpidem sleeping pills and 24 Panadeine Forte tablets daily, often accompanied by alcohol. Medical professionals strongly caution that such a practice is extremely risky.
Last week, during a heartfelt portion of her personal radio program, Jackie opened up about the origins of her addiction, which date back over 15 years.
During that period, she was given a potent opiate-based pain reliever to manage endometriosis – a condition where tissue akin to the uterine lining develops outside the uterus, leading to intense discomfort.
She mentioned that she was given this medication and ended up using it excessively. At one point, she realized it could potentially become an issue, so she chose to stop taking it.
After parting ways with Lee in 2018, Jackie resorted to returning to her medication as a means to alleviate the distress she was experiencing.
She admitted that she returned to it as a means to find some momentary happiness and also as an escape, but in hindsight, it was clearly the wrong choice.
Jackie mentioned that she began occasionally consuming some codeine and took a Stilnox at night along with a glass of wine, which she referred to as experiencing a state where she loses consciousness or memory.
‘You can still be awake and have no idea what’s going on,’ Jackie shared.
‘It’s like you’re kind of functioning but you have no memory.’
Jackie’s harrowing addiction truly began during the Covid-19 pandemic, as she found herself isolated at home. It was then that she admitted to struggling and feeling incredibly sad.
She disclosed that the amount of medication increased progressively, reaching an excessive level, with an average of approximately 24 Panadeine Forte tablets consumed daily. Later, her intake averaged around 10 to 12 Stilnox pills per day.
It seems as if some benevolent force was looking after me, for I can’t explain how I managed to wake up every day with such a high dose.
In the end, Jackie shared her difficulties with her closest companion, Gemma O’Neill. This disclosure ultimately prompted them to make a clandestine trip from Australia to attend The Betty Ford Clinic in California.
As a devoted admirer, I’m sharing this intriguing tale: Jackie confided that Betty Ford had advised her not to tamper with any aspect of her medication routine before departing, warning it could be perilous. Consequently, Jackie was still popping pills on the day she jetted off to the United States.
Betty Ford is renowned for providing treatment to celebrities like Keith Urban, Robert Downey Jr., and Lindsay Lohan. The cost for a month-long stay at this facility can range between approximately 45,000 AUD to 90,000 AUD, depending on the specific program offered.
In November 2022, Jackie reserved a $50,000 room for a 28-day stay without informing any of her coworkers, including her fellow host Kyle Sandilands. Instead, she concealed her plans by asserting that she was battling long Covid.
In the prologue of her memoir, she disclosed that her colleagues wish her well and are likely wondering about her short-term absence, yet few truly understand why she is taking a step back.
‘But it has to be this way.’
In a heartfelt apology, she confessed to her audience that she had been truthful by omission when she disclosed on her radio program that she was fighting long-term effects of Covid; in reality, she had not been honest about being ill with it.
She expressed her sincere apologies to her listeners and those in her life who may not have received full disclosure from her. She emphasized that her primary focus was initially on that specific aspect, especially during the first year of recovery.
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2024-10-30 03:32