‘It was the thing that kept me going’: LEGO Masters stars credit popular building blocks with giving them an escape after being diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions
LEGO Masters stars Annie O’Reilly and Tim Jones have credited the popular building blocks with saving their lives.
Both contestants on this year’s season have battled serious health issues, and in separate interviews this week, they said LEGO gave them a much-needed escape.
In an interview with TV WEEK magazine on Monday, Annie, 30, revealed she contracted a ‘rare brain infection’ when she was just 15.
Life-changing: LEGO Masters stars Annie O’Reilly (pictured far left with teammate and friend Runa Lindblom) and Tim Jones (pictured right with teammate and wife Dannii Jones) have credited the popular building blocks with saving their lives
As a result, she spent the next three years in and out of hospital, suffering ‘severe memory loss and brain damage’ and what she described as ‘intense seizures’.
She was told she was unlikely to live beyond her 18th birthday, and was left feeling ‘isolated and alone’.
But Annie said she found comfort in LEGO, spending her spare time building things while in bed.
Frightening: In an interview with TV WEEK magazine on Monday, Annie, 30, revealed she contracted a ‘rare brain infection’ when she was just 15
‘It was the one thing that kept me going when I couldn’t read or write anymore,’ she revealed.
‘I could click bricks from my bed when it was too hard to walk, and the instructions were simple and easy to follow after the brain injury. It was my rehab.’
Annie’s teammate and friend, Runa Lindblom, also credited LEGO with helping her to overcome her own health problems.
Piecing her life back together: Annie said she found comfort in LEGO, spending her spare time building things while in bed
According to a report by 9Now, the 29-year-old had to undergo brain surgery, and she credited LEGO with helping her to retrain her brain.
Tim, 25, also said LEGO brought him some happiness after he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in 2014 and potentially given three weeks to live.
‘At the age of 19, nobody really comprehends the fact their life could be over,’ he told Woman’s Day magazine on Monday.
Shared experience: Annie’s teammate and friend, Runa, also credited LEGO with helping her to overcome her own health problems
Tim said building a giant LEGO castle was at the top of his bucket list, after spending years collecting LEGO kits.
‘My family found some LEGO at a car boot sale and sat with me for hours as I built a LEGO castle with them,’ he added.
After making a full recovery, Tim revealed he and wife Dannii, 26, still enjoy playing with LEGO, and even have a LEGO room set up in their home.
Finding joy: Tim also said LEGO brought him some happiness after he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in 2014 and potentially given three weeks to live