A Woman Who Lost Her Memory Fell In Love With Her Partner Twice

It took much more than a love note or a bouquet to win Jessica Sharman’s heart. She lost her memories after having seizures one day last March. Jessica had no idea who her family and friends were, let alone her boyfriend, Rich Bishop. He has subsequently had to charm her all over again.

Her memory has yet to return, and Jessica, 20, has had to learn about her parents and 25-year-old Rich from the ground up. She is stitching together the pieces of her shattered life with their help.

Jessica and Rich had been dating for seven months when their lives were turned upside down.

Jessica had a series of seizures on their commuter train from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, to London, where they worked in recruiting.

“I was afraid,” she admits. I didn’t know who anyone was. Everyone was unfamiliar to me. I didn’t even recognize my name. I recall boarding the train that March day, but that’s all I remember. My body reportedly went slack, and my eyes glazed over. But we were almost in London, and Rich could sustain me until we arrived at the station, then accompanied me to our office and phoned my parents while he looked after me. I recollect seeing a woman running toward me, but I don’t know who she is. She was hugging me & asking if I was okay, but I just stared at her blankly. She kept claiming to be my mother.”

Jessica’s parents, retail clerk Lisa, 49, and electrician Gary, 56, were taken aback when she didn’t know them.Jessica, who lives with her parents, adds, “My mum started hurriedly pulling up images of us on her phone to attempt to spark my memory.”

“But I didn’t recognize my parents in the images, and I had no idea what I looked like.”

“I discovered a mirror and glanced at my reflection, but it was as if I were looking at a stranger.” I did, however, match the person in the images, so I consented to return home with my parents. Mom touched my knee, but I pushed it away since it seemed uncomfortable to be touched by a stranger.”

“I didn’t recognize the house,” Jessica says when they arrive home.

“My mother gave me a tour, but nothing came back to me.” My parents brought Rich over, but I didn’t know him, and when they left me alone with him, I was terrified.”

Jessica’s parents transported her to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London the following day.She was hospitalized there for about a week and diagnosed with epileptic amnesia.She’d known she had epilepsy since she was 14, but it hadn’t had a huge influence on her life.

“Doctors said it could take six months for my memory to return — if it returned at all,” Jessica adds. My mind was racing; I felt like a horror movie.”

Jessica struggled to accept Rich once she was released from the hospital.”I recall being alone with him at one point and hating it,” she says. I didn’t know him, yet he pretended we were in love.

“Two weeks later, I attempted to end the relationship.” He seemed hurt and vowed to help me recall how fantastic we were together. I agreed to give it a go after seeing how devoted and compassionate he was.”

Rich has now made it his mission to revive Jessica’s feelings for him.

He takes her for walking in the park, they return to familiar restaurants, and he tells her everything about their past.”I don’t recall the first time I fell in love with Rich, but I remember the second.””He was so kind and sweet with me that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him.”

“My parents taught me to cook again, informed me what I liked to watch on TV, and how I should look.” It was difficult to socialize because my acquaintances expected me to trust them immediately.”

Jessica did not return to work with Rich.She acquired call center work when her confidence started to return in September.

“I started leaving the house more,” she says. People I’d known for years would approach me and start conversing. It was stressful saying I had no idea who they were. It’s difficult to explain losing 19 years of experience – and experts warn I may never get them back. I’ve had to relearn everything about individuals close to me — and doctors warn there’s a 50% possibility I’ll lose my memory again. But Rich was able to make me fall in love with him twice, so I believe he can do it again.”