On February 21, 2021, Brooke Shields revealed she fractured her femur in a balance board accident. She has kept her fans updated on her condition throughout the ordeal. 

Not just that, the actress also recently shared her experience with a cancer scare and how that changed her entire outlook on preventive skincare. 

The Painful Ordeal

The Pretty Baby star had taken to her Instagram in February to share a video of herself walking with crutches on either side. She was seen healing and learning how to walk again. 

She announced in the caption that she had broken her femur. Despite the crippling accident, she let her fans off on a positive note. 

No matter what your challenge is, make a positive choice, for yourself, to move forward. #BeginningisNow

More recently, on May 29, 2021, the actress shared a series of snaps from her time at the hospital. The first picture was an x-ray of her femur. 

Several metallic screws, rods, and plates held the bone together. The second snap showed her being wheeled on a bed somewhere in the hospital. 

The picture that came next was possibly the most disturbing. The actress candidly framed the scar from her orthopedic surgery for the social platform. 

The final snap of the series showed another x-ray, this one from before the surgery. The fracture on her femur was clearly visible and obviously very serious. 

The experience was without a doubt terrifying for the actress, and she admitted as much. Even so, the strength she showed in the captions was unbelievable. 

She explained how going through this ordeal made her realize that it was never too late for a fresh start and a new outlook on life. 

Learning to Walk Again

Despite it being one of the scariest moments of her life, she confessed it was also transformative. 

"The beginning is now...," she concluded.

On March 30, 2021, Good Morning America reported that an hour after the initial surgery, the bone broke yet again, prompting another trip to the operating table to implant five more rods to hold the fracture in place. 

The actress also confessed during the same segment that she was worried about not being able to dance again or not even being able to walk again.

The health professional around her affirmed that she would be able to walk, but it would be a long and arduous journey. 

A Cancer Scare

Sadly, that was not the only health scare that the Sheilds has been through. Celebrating the Skin Cancer Awareness Month of May, the Endless Love star opened up to various outlets to share her brush with the possibly fatal illness. 

Most recently, she authored an article for Elle where she recalled the time her dermatologist diagnosed her with Solar Keratosis, a common pre-cancerous diagnosis. 

As per her doctor, the condition resulted from long-term exposure to UV rays in the past, as much as 30 to 40 years ago. Thankfully, her physician was able to remove the cells with a relatively simple procedure. 

However, knowing that she almost got skin cancer from staying out in the sun for too long has changed her outlook on life. Now, she religiously follows a strict skincare procedure and motivates her family and friends to do the same.