WATCH: Reggie Bird’s sick son gets to meet his hero Shaq

Reggie Bird’s son, who suffers from terminal illness, has always dreamt of meeting Shaq. Seeing him starstruck by the NBA great is a memory she’ll ‘treasure forever’. Watch the video.

Becoming the first Australian to win Big Brother twice was a massive deal for Reggie Bird, but making her teenage son’s dream to meet NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal come true is “priceless”.

Just last week, O’Neal touched down in Australia for a series of events. Bird’s 13-year-old son Lucas, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, asked to meet the American basketballer for his Make A Wish.

There simply wasn’t time to organise it through the charity, though. So when Bird saw The Daily Telegraph interview O’Neal, she took the wish-granting into her own hands.

“Lucas is a massive Lakers fan, has been for years … ever since he’s been playing basketball,” she said, adding of his disappointment when told he couldn’t meet his idol: “He was devastated.”

Not one to give up, which is one of the many reasons Australians fell in love with Bird, the single mum appealed to Reebok, which hosted a meet-n-greet with O’Neal in Sydney on Saturday. The footwear company got mum and son onto last minute flights from their Gold Coast home.

Reggie Bird with kids Mia, 15 and Lucas, 13, when she became the first Australian to win Big Brother twice.

“The look on Lucas’ face when he got to meet him is a memory we’ll treasure forever,” Bird said.

“Quite a few people were there. But Shaq came over and shook Lucas’ hand, and signed his top for him. He was speechless. Totally starstruck.”

Lucas said: “It was really cool to meet him. He was big. I thought I would be up to near his shoulder (in height), but I was only up to his belly button.”

Bird, 48, first hit Australian TV screens in 2003. She became a household name by winning the third season of Big Brother and its $250,000 cash prize.

The mum of two competed and won the show again in 2022, despite being legally blind. She did so for her kids Mia, 15, and Lucas.

Her son’s condition comes with daily physiotherapy and medication to help Lucas digest food and break down mucus from his lungs, and a life expectancy of 37.

Reggie Bird and her son 13-year-old son Lucas meet NBA legend Shaquille O’Neale. Picture: Supplied

It is a “constant battle” to keep weight on Lucas, with drink supplements and a high calorie and fat diet.

Watching her son grow up with the condition, and once say that he did not want to go on living with it, has been heartbreaking for Bird.

“He’s always hated taking his tablets to keep him alive. As he’s getting older, he’s hating it even more.”

Reggie Bird and her son Lucas were sent down the back of the store due to the large crowds. Picture: Supplied

Lucas was “speechless” when the O’Neale came over to shake his hand and sign his top. Picture: Supplied

Under the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme, the best available cystic fibrosis medicine costs $6.80 a script. Without, around $300,000 a year. Bird successfully campaigned to get the Trikafta drug subsidised.

For her, the best part about winning Big Brother the second time around wasn’t the glitz or glamour – but boosting a platform she can use help families like hers.

“That and, my kids never wanted to stand with me at the bus stop before. But now they’re quite proud to guide me around the place,” she said.