Controversial Married At First Sight bride Gia Fleur has revealed a terrifying brush with death involving her daughter.
Speaking to New Idea, Gia, 35, revealed that her daughter Willa, nine, had contracted a rare illness that left her hospitalised and her mother fearful for her daughter’s life.
Gia told the publication that Willa, who Gia has largely shielded from the glare of social media, had contracted Kawasaki disease when she was six, adding that her daughter came home from school displaying flu-like symptoms.
Initially told by doctors that it was a respiratory infection, Willa’s condition continued to deteriorate and she was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia.
‘She was only six, so she couldn’t really tell me what was wrong,’ Gia told the publication.
Worried for her daughter, Gia rushed Willa to hospital, where doctors immediately raised concerns.
Married At First Sight bride Gia Fleur has revealed a terrifying brush with death involving her daughter
Gia told New Idea that Willa, who Gia has largely shielded from the glare of social media, had contracted Kawasaki disease when she was six
‘They rushed her straight in when they found out her heart rate was extremely high – about 192 beats per minute,’ Gia said. ‘Suddenly, there were doctors everywhere.’
After a battery of tests, Willa was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, with doctors fearful she could develop sepsis.
‘That was probably the lowest point because I’d heard of sepsis and knew how bad it was,’ she said.
Gia added that she slept on the hospital floor for four nights, refusing to leave her daughter’s side.
Now out of the woods, Gia said that for two years after Willa’s diagnosis, she required regular check-ups with a cardiologist as her treatment – an IV therapy made from donated plasma – had caused coronary artery dilation.
Kawasaki disease is a serious condition that causes inflammation in the walls of blood vessels throughout the body, particularly the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.
In Australia, between 200 and 300 children are diagnosed with Kawasaki disease every year.
It comes after Gia publicly confirmed her secret romance with new beau Alan Wallace and made a bombshell admission about her relationship with MAFS groom Scott McCristal.
Initially told by doctors that it was a respiratory infection, Willa’s condition continued to deteriorate and she was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. Worried for her daughter, Gia rushed Willa to hospital, where doctors immediately raised concerns
‘I can’t keep pretending I’m with Scott,’ she said.
‘There’s only so long you can fake something before it starts to eat away at you.’
She added that her connection with Alan developed naturally after filming wrapped, describing it as a fresh start following a difficult end to her on-screen marriage.
‘I didn’t go into this looking for anything,’ she explained.
‘But sometimes the right person comes along when you least expect it.’
While Gia stopped short of putting an exact timeline on their romance, sources close to the couple have claimed the pair grew close shortly after the experiment ended.
Alan, who previously appeared on Love Triangle, is said to have bonded with Gia over their shared experiences in the reality TV spotlight, with insiders revealing their connection quickly turned romantic.
‘They just clicked straight away,’ one insider said.
After a battery of tests, Willa was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, with doctors fearful she could develop sepsis. ‘That was probably the lowest point because I’d heard of sepsis and knew how bad it was,’ she said
‘After everything Gia went through on MAFS, Alan has been a real support for her.’
The outing marks a stark contrast to Gia’s tumultuous relationship with Scott, which unravelled in dramatic fashion during the final weeks of the experiment.
Behind the scenes, tensions had reportedly been building for weeks, with insiders claiming trust issues and explosive arguments plagued the pair long before viewers saw their marriage deteriorate on screen.
The couple’s split has since played out publicly, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of what really went wrong.
