'The Little Couple' 's Bill Klein Breaks His Elbow But Can't Get Immediate Surgery Due to Pandemic

Bill Klein said that his surgery is considered an "elective" procedure amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Published on August 26, 2021 09:42 PM

The Little Couple's Bill Klein has been left with a broken elbow after a run-in with a swarm of wasps.

The TLC star, 46, opened up about the injury on his Instagram Friday, sharing that he will likely not be able to undergo surgery any time soon due to hospital resources being stretched thin due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Fun fact, I broke my right elbow when I was 7 after speeding down a hill on my bike, got so winded I blacked out and awoke bloody and broken. This time around, nothing nearly as exciting…" he captioned an x-ray of his elbow.

According to Klein, he injured himself "during an attempt to elude a small swarm of wasps."

Recalling the incident, Klein quipped, "my head forgot that my legs have never 'run' (to or away from anything, before, ever), even when chased… and that's how you plant an elbow on pavers!"

"That was 4 weeks ago," he continued, "since it wasn't getting better, I went back for another x-ray."

"This image probably has a few things wrong in it courtesy of my dysplasia… but can you find the most recent traumatic damage?" he added. "And get vaccinated ;) so I can get my 'elective' surgery."

Klein ended his post by tagging his wife, Dr. Jen Arnold, alongside the hashtags "ouch that's smarts," "is there an ointment for this," and "I still say 2021 is better than 2020."

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COVID-19 numbers have been increasing across the United States due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, which is now the most common strain in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unvaccinated individuals make up the large majority of new cases and hospitalizations.

The biggest increase in cases has been in southern states with low vaccination rates such as Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas and Florida — where Klein and Arnold, 47, currently live with their two children: Will, 11, and Zoey, who turns 10 next month.

Arnold, who is a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, spoke about the importance of getting vaccinated in an Instagram video last week, saying that "the benefits outweigh the risks for vaccinations in kids."

The mother of two said she "cannot wait until Will and Zoey are eligible for their vaccinations," explaining that "as soon as the data are out for my kids, yes, I'm going to get them vaccinated."

Currently, only children over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.

As of Thursday, 51.1 percent (172.1 million) of the United States populace is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC, while 61.1 percent (202.9 million) have received at least one dose.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.