Claire Muffett-Reece went to bed one night in 2021 with what she thought was a common cold. The next morning, she slipped into a coma for 16 days, from which she woke up having lost 20 years of memories.

The woman who lives in Essex, UK, recently opened up about the harrowing experience of living with “encephalitis” (inflammation of the brain) which caused her to lose her memories.

Speaking on a TV show, Clarie’s husband, Scott, revealed how his wife was rushed to the hospital after she started seizing one morning.

“Claire, for around about two weeks, had been suffering from a cold that she picked up from our youngest, Max. Just gradually deteriorating, getting worse and worse, and getting more and more lethargic,” he said.

“She went to bed the night before Father’s Day, and in the morning, I couldn’t wake her up,” he added.

Claire was rushed to the hospital where doctors put her on a ventilator before she was transferred to Royal London Hospital.

Her condition was initially suspected to have been caused by a brain bleed but further tests revealed that she actually had “encephalitis.”

Claire said her memory loss made her forget several significant life events.

“Though I knew I had children I loved and recognised, I couldn’t remember giving birth, their birthdays, first days at school, their likes or dislikes.

“As for my lost memories, there’s still a tiny chance they could return, but if not, I’ll just have to make many happy new ones,” she said. -ndtv.com