‘Real Housewives of New York’ Star Vicki Gunvalson Reveals Her Daughter Almost Died

The Real Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson recently revealed that her daughter Briana Culberson once had a near-death experience.

“We almost lost her a couple years ago. That was one of the biggest fears I had in my life while I was filming; it’s my ‘Oh, my God,’ moment,” 54-year-old Gunvalson shared, as reported by Us Weekly. “She was super, super sick; got a very, very bad infectious disease from the hospital. They almost amputated her leg.”

She went on to explained that Culberson had to be transferred to the City of Hope National Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, where she was isolated for about a month. “The viewers don’t know but we can share it now because she survived it,” Gunvalson continued. “But it was horrible.”

As for how Culbertson became so sick, Gunvalson previously claimed that she contracted an infection after undergoing surgery in Oklahoma. “It almost killed my daughter,” she said back in 2017. “[The scalpel was infected] with feces from a previous surgery the day they put inside her body. So, not good, she almost lost her leg. I mean she almost died and all this stuff.”

Culberson was diagnosed with lupus — a chronic autoimmune illness — back in 2006, and lives with her husband Ryan Culberson in North Carolina. They have two sons, Troy and Owen. Culberson has not made any appearances on The Real Housewives of Orange County since 2013.

While she wishes she could be closer to her daughter, Gunvalson is glad that Culberson is receiving the best possible care from the University of North Carolina Medical Center.

“[That] is actually where she works. She’s an ER trauma nurse,” the reality star said. “They’ve got a great lupus center out there. So if God brought her out there to help her get through this, that was the good thing from it.”

Still, Gunvalson says that no distance between them will keep her from seeing her daughter when she needs to. “If something happens, and they need me, it’s gonna take me about nine hours to get there. And I’d be there on the next plane,” she said, as reported by PEOPLE. “So that’s the most important thing is that I want them to know that I’m there for her.”

A few weeks ago, Gunvalson posted a photo of herself and Culberson on Instagram while on a visit to see her family.

“Quick trip to see my beautiful daughter and her family and it’s hard to always leave. I’m so proud of her and she has adapted so well to NC. She is working FT as an ER nurse, incredible mother, wife and hostess,” Gunvalson captioned the photo. “Until we meet again, know that I [love] you and miss you more than words can say.”

Season 13 of The Real Housewives of Orange County is currently airing on Bravo.