Big Brother star shares reality of son having cystic fibrosis

She won Big Brother in 2003 and once again in 2022 but her life has been plagued with health issues and her son has his own battle ahead.

A former Big Brother contestant has detailed her life as a mother of a son with a life threatening diagnosis.

Reggie Bird shot to fame on the reality show in 2003 and once again in 2022 but the now 49-year-old is opening up about her son Lucas’s cystic fibrosis as May is dedicated to raising awareness for the illness.

She shared a photo to Instagram of Lucas curled up under a blanket on the couch while asleep.

“Well it’s Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and it’s ironic that Lucas has gone downhill like a ton of bricks,” Reggie said.

Lucas has cystic fibrosis. Picture: Instagram

“He hasn’t been sick for so long. He won’t eat as his throat is sore and he’s been sick and sleeping all day.

“My anxiety has gone through the roof as I’m hoping we don’t end up in hospital.”

Not too long after her first post, she shared a photo of Lucas, now 13, when he was younger in hospital.

Lucas has peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line in the image, with Reggie saying her son had many of the devices over the years

“This is used to give strong intravenous fluids when Lucas gets really sick,” she said.

It’s not the only devastating health blow the family has received.

Last year, Reggie revealed she had been diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a disease which impacts both hearing and vision.

Reggie Bird shot to fame on the reality show in 2003. Picture: Instagram

Bird, who was first declared legally blind in 2008 after being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, shared the heartbreaking health update.

“It’s not what I wanted to hear,” Bird said in a video as she broke down in tears. “It’s the worst thing that you could have. I’m going to be deaf-blind.”

According to the Victorian government’s Better Health website, Usher syndrome is a genetic condition which affects hearing and vision, which can cause partial or total hearing loss and gradual vision loss.

After becoming one of the most popular TV stars in the country following her 2003 victory, things went downhill for Bird who revealed in 2014 she had no peripheral vis­ion and her overall field of vision was constricted to only 10 degrees. She also said she had been battling depression.