A rare brain disease has caused Rosie Paley, 18, to completely forget the first 16 years of her life, The Inquistr reported.
Two years ago, Paley was hospitalized for encephalitis which causes an acute inflamation of the brain. As a result of the infection, the only memory she had left was of her teddy bear. She didn't recognize her mother or two younger siblings and now relies on photographs and the memories of others to understand her life before her illness.
"Looking back at pictures I can see I had an amazing childhood. I just wish I had memories to go with the pictures," Paley said. "Life is now about making new memories. It's like I'm starting from the beginning."
According to the Mayo Clinic, encephalitis is most commonly caused by viral infections, such as herpes, but can also be the result of bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Symptoms include fever, headache, confusion, seizures, and problems with senses or movement.
The teen also suffers short-term memory loss and needs to write down simple tasks. Her Condition has improved since her initial memory loss. Paley now recognizes her mother, Helen, and two brothers. However, she still doesn't remember her school friends.
"I've lost all my childhood friends as I can't recognize them or reminisce about old times and so it's hard to be around them as they knew the old me before the memory loss," she said. "When I first came round, mum brought my two younger brothers to see me. I had no idea who they were and I panicked."
Paley displayed no signs of encephalitis before she suffered a seizure and fell down a flight of stairs two years ago. Although she says her experience has been "stressful," she is determined to get better and wants to become a hairdresser.
"Hairdressing is great because it's repetitive and so I can keep practicing until I learn things and remember them."
Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society, said its unlikely for victims to recover their lost memories but can succesfully "develop is better ways of coping with their condition."
Although there is no cure for encephalitis, patients are usually treated with bed rest, plenty of fluids, and anti-inflammatory drugs. For more serious cases, antiviral drugs such as Acyclovir and Ganciclovir are administered.
