Chronicles of Narnia star reveals scars from rare bacterial infection that nearly killed her

Georgie Henley inspired countless little girls as The Chronicles of Narnia heroine Lucy Pevensie, and now she's doing it again as an adult.

The actress, who starred in the Disney franchise when she was only 10 years old, shared a photograph and statement on Twitter on Tuesday, revealing that she contracted a rare bacterial infection at the age of 18 that nearly killed her. The infection also resulted in numerous scars on her arm, as skin grafts and other measures were taken to prevent a possible amputation.

"When I was eighteen years old and in my sixth week of university, I contracted necrotising fasciitis, a rare and punishing infection that nearly claimed my life and wrought havoc throughout my body," she wrote. "In order to prevent the amputation of my left hand and arm I received grueling invasive surgery, and later extensive reconstructive surgery which resulted in a series of skin grafts and scars.

Henley, who still acts and recently starred as sister to Henry VIII, Margaret Tudor, in The Spanish Princess, said in the post that she has been hiding these scars professionally, but is now choosing to share them with the world, using the caption, "Finally Free."

"It has taken me a long time to heal both physically and mentally, but I hoped that one day there would be the right time to talk about what happened. Today is a start," she continued. "For the last nine years, I have been open about my scars in my personal life, but I have hidden them entirely in any professional context: wearing bandages or coverings, makeup on set and stage, long sleeves whenever I might be photographed, trousers so I could put my hand in my pocket."

"The industry I am part of often focuses on a very narrow idea of what is deemed aesthetics 'perfection,'" she concluded. "And I worried that my scars would prevent me from getting work. The truth is there is no such thing as 'perfection,' but I have still lived with the shame of feeling different, exacerbated by the expectations that came with beginning my career at a young age. But my scars are not something to be ashamed of. They are a map of the pain my body has endured, and most importantly, a reminder of my survival. They do not affect my capacity as an actor, and I'm proud to be a person who has visible scars in this industry. "

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