'Lego Masters' Season 2 contestants Tim Jones and Annie O'Reilly recall how LEGO blocks saved their lives
Australian 'LEGO Masters' Season 2 stars Annie O'Reilly and Tim Jones have credited the popular building blocks game as the reason they are alive and kicking now.
Both O'Reilly and Jones have battled serious health issues and in separate press interviews this week, thy both admitted that LEGO gave them much-needed support as well well as served as an escape in their journey to recovery from their health ailments.
In an interview with TV WEEK magazine on April 20, O'Reilly revealed that she contracted a "rare brain infection" when she was just 15 that resulted in her spending three full years in and out of the hospital.
All this took a toll on her and she also suffered "severe memory loss and brain damage" and "intense seizures" during this period. The constant sickness coupled with uncertainty looming large over her life span that was unlikely to exceed beyond 18 years left her feeling "isolated and alone".
That is when Annie mentioned that she found solace and comfort in LEGO while she spent all her spare time in bed building things. "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."
Runa Lindblom also appeared alongside O'Reilly as her teammate on the show. Both have been friends for a long time and Lindblom too faced a similar fate with her health and used LEGO to overcome her problems. It was reported that the 29-year-old had to undergo brain surgery and LEGO helped her to retrain her brain.
Tim Jones, a 25-year-old contestant, also said LEGO was responsible for bringing him some happiness when he had his "aggressive brain tumor" diagnosis in 2014 after which doctors had alerted the then 19-year old Tim that he might only have three weeks to live.
"At the age of 19, nobody really comprehends the fact their life could be over," he told Women's Day magazine on Monday. He revealed that building a giant LEGO castle was at the top of his things to do, 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.
Tim has made a full recovery now and is now married to his wife Dannii who appeared alongside him as his teammate on the show. Tim mentioned that his love for LEGO has only grown over the years and he and Dannii have a LEGO room set up in their marital home.
