Two-time Big Brother winner Reggie Bird has opened up about her fears as she faces the reality of losing her eyesight completely.
The reality TV favourite, now 50, was declared legally blind 16 years ago after losing 90 per cent of her central vision.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Reggie Bird opens up about devastating health news.
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Bird’s battle began in 2003, just after winning her first Big Brother crown, when she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare degenerative eye disease.
In 2022 Bird announced she had been diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disease that affects both hearing and vision.
Now, she says her vision is “like looking through a straw,” and the thought of complete blindness is weighing heavily on her mind.
“It won’t kill me, but I am going to lose the whole lot,” Bird said on the Mental As Anyone podcast.
“When that day comes, I don’t know what I am going to do.
“It’s really starting to scare me because I feel like my eyes are really getting worse.”
Determined to stay positive, Bird said she was making the most of life while she still could.
“I’ve just got to keep going, gotta get on with it, gotta keep moving. There’s worse people off than me. That’s what I always say to myself,” she said.
Despite her ongoing health battles, Bird remains upbeat and active on social media.
She frequently shares videos of her daily activities, some including dancing, cooking and spending time with her two teenage children, Mia, 17, and Lucas, 15.
Bird’s resilience and positivity have inspired her fans, many of whom have followed her journey since her rise to fame two decades ago.
“I’m just trying to enjoy every moment I can while I still can,” Bird said.
She previously underwent cataract surgery in October 2022 to treat her vision which is “much clearer” after the surgery on her left eye.
Just three days later, Reggie shared an update on her recovery posting a photo of a sunset, explaining how “grateful” she is.
Reggie told 7NEWS.com.au in October 2022 that despite her devastating diagnosis, she was choosing to look at everything with a positive outlook not wanting the news to get her down.
“It was just horrific,” Bird said of first learning the news.
“And I was really down about it for a few days there”.
Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disease that affects both hearing and vision, will eventually leave the star both deaf and blind — however, the timeline is unknown.
She said in a video posted to her Instagram at the time that it was “the worst thing you could have”.