Sunrise’s Natalie Barr reveals terrifying health scare that left her unable to sit up for months

Natalie Barr has opened up about the terrifying moment she thought she’d never be able to sit up or walk again.

The Sunrise host, 55, told Sunday Life, she spent two months lying in a hospital bed when she was just 15 years old.

‘I got really sick with a disease in my spine called osteomyelitis. The bug had eaten two of my verterbrae and they were crumbling,’ she revealed.

‘I’d had back pain and saw a physio who wrote to my doctor… but that night I ended up in hospital with an orthopaedic surgeon telling me: “Lie down, or you’ll never sit up again”.’

Natalie revealed she wasn’t allowed to sit up for months.

She was flown by the Royal Flying Doctor to a Perth hospital where they discovered the exact strain of the bug she had.

Natalie was then ‘pumped with high-dose antibiotics’ for the next couple of months before eventually recovering with no permanent damage.

‘It was traumatic. I didn’t know if I’d be able to walk again,’ she admitted.

Natalie has gained a huge following since she began anchoring Sunrise in 2021. 

She has taken the lion’s share of hard-hitting interviews and has solidified her status as Australia’s queen of breakfast TV. 

A Seven insider recently told Daily Mail Australia the secret behind Natalie’s success is not only her excellent journalism skills, but her kind and loyal demeanour. 

The Sunrise host, 55, told Sunday Life, she spent two months lying in a hospital bed after a bug took over her body when she was just 15 years old

‘Nat’s earned the respect of the audience because she’s proved time after time she sits in that chair to ask the questions they wanted answered – no matter how tough it might be to ask them,’ they said.

‘There are lots of prickly people in Australian media, but Nat’s proved you can make it to the top by being kind and loyal. She cares about everyone she works with.

‘Nat’s secret? She doesn’t fake it. There are no games. She loves her family, her job and good journalism.’

Daily Mail Australia analytics also show that Australians, whether Sunrise viewers or not, are interested in what she has to say about issues as diverse as Titanic submarine disappearance, Medicare and the Brittany Higgins case.

‘I got really sick with a disease in my spine called osteomyelitis. The bug had eaten two of my verterbrae and they were crumbling,’ she revealed