BRAVE REGGIE'S CRUEL BLOW 'I'LL GET THROUGH THIS FOR MY KIDS'
After countless setbacks, Big Brother’s Reggie received a shocking diagnosis during a routine check-up
Anyone who’s met Reggie Sorensen knows the Big Brother winner has one enormous heart of gold. Always one to put her two kids first – Mia, 10, and little Lucas, eight – the lovable single mum has had more than her fair share of setbacks since her rise to fame 14 years ago.
But after a routine check-up with a heart specialist three weeks ago, no one was more shocked than Reggie when doctors delivered some devastating news.
“They told me I have a hole in my heart. I was literally heartbroken. But it makes sense now, why I’m always so tired and unwell, and what caused my stroke last year,” reveals Reggie, fighting back tears.
‘When it’s fixed, hopefully all these problems will go away!’
“I’ve been knocked down so many times. I used to think nothing more could rattle me – until they said I have
a serious heart condition, and it may require open-heart surgery. My entire world came crashing down around me.”
CRUEL BLOW
Reggie, 43 – who won $250,000 in the third season of Big Brother in 2003 – admits she’s started to wonder why so many curveballs.
“I reckon someone up there must think I’m a tough old boot! I’m worn down, but I’ll find a way to get through this – I always do,” she says bravely. “I don’t want to ever look like one of those ‘poor me’ sorts. I’ve been delivered the cruel blow, now I’ll deal with it.”
This latest setback is just one of many she’s tackled these past years, including Lucas’ daily struggle with cystic fibrosis, and her own diminishing eyesight – she’ll be blind in the next few years.
“Bottom line, while there’s a bunch of medical names for the condition, it’s a hole in the heart and it’s very serious,” says Reggie. “Later this month, I’ll see my cardiologist for a full prognosis. He said if the hole is large, it’ll require open-heart surgery. If small – which I’m praying for – they’ll operate through a vein in my leg.”
KEEPING POSITIVE
With symptoms that include everything from shortness of breath, constant heart murmurs, and chronic fatigue, Reggie is determined she’ll beat it.
“When I had the echocardiogram bubble test, we couldn’t see how big the hole was. We don’t know if I was born with it or developed it over the years,” she reveals.
“But it did cause the stroke – I have a lack of oxygen pumping through to my brain. It’s the cause of all my terrible migraines and the reason I don’t sleep, which means I’m always tired.”
Despite the uncertainty she faces in the coming months, Reggie, whose positive nature on Big Brother made her a national star, is determined to get through life every day, even admitting she sees the hole in the heart as a positive.
“When it’s fixed, hopefully all these problems will go away! I look at Lucas, who bravely fights the fight every minute of every day, I reckon I got off light – he’s the champion,” she says proudly.
After facing eviction from her long-time rental last year, Reggie is looking forward to better times in 2018 – hoping the year brings more good news than bad.
TWO LITTLE ANGELS
“When I told the kids about my heart, Mia said to me, ‘Mum, if someone got a small piece of your heart and it means you have a hole, then they’re very lucky because that’s the most loving heart in the world.’ And that’s enough for me to have the courage to fight this – and win.”
And little Lucas, who has his own health battle to face each and every day, continues to give his mum strength.
“He just said, ‘My heart, whether it’s sick or not, is still a heart of gold,’” says Reggie. “That’s why I wake up every day – for these two little angels. Nothing else matters.”