Former Big Brother winner Reggie loses her sight after developing an eye disease

HER positive nature on Big Brother made her much loved, and Reggie Bird is using that same attitude to get through life every day.

Reggie Bird Chrissie Swan

HER positive nature on Big Brother made her much loved, and Reggie Sorensen (nee Bird) is using that same attitude to get through life every day.

Reggie has lost much of her vision the past few years, suffering from an eye disease called Retinal Pigmentation.

"My eyes are deteriorating really badly,'' she said.

"There is nothing that can be done about it.

"I've just got to wait until a breakthrough in stem cell research and that kind of thing.

"They are getting worse.''

Based on the Gold Coast, she is also a single mother to Mia, 6, and Lucas, 4, who suffers from cystic fibrosis.

Lucas has been in and out of hospital for the past few years.

Despite all this, Reggie, 39 still can still laugh and have a smile.

"I went through my stages of being really depressed from it all, I went through a really bad spell a couple of years ago.

"But now I'm feeling really good.

"I think I've just got to make the most of each day, and that's exactly what I'm doing.''

Two years this Christmas she split from her husband Dale Sorenson.
He still has an active part in the kids lives.

"When they are at Dale's two day a week I just go up to the bowls club where the old people are and have a beer,'' she said.

For more of Reggie’s story – see Confidential in tomorrow’s Sunday Herald Sun.