A young woman lost five years of her memory and was left unable to recognise her boyfriend after what started off as a common headache turned into a rare and serious condition
Georgia Lee, from near Bedford, thought she was still a 17-year-old at college and single. It wasn’t until someone asked for her age that she discovered that she had lost all of her memories for the last five years and was actually 22 with a boyfriend and a university degree.
It all began after Georgia, now 29, started experiencing constant headaches in 2018. “I had a constant headache in the exact same place for about two weeks. We did go to the doctors a couple of times, and they gave me drugs but sent me home again,” she exclusively told the Mirror.
She didn’t think much of them, but things took a worrying turn after she sent an unusual text to her partner, Laurence Calvert, 29, while he was away at a festival. “He said I messaged him and made absolutely no sense at all. So he rang my dad to go up and check on me.
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“My dad went in, and I just had no idea where I was or who I was,” Georgia said. Knowing something was seriously wrong, Georgia’s dad rushed her to A&E, and she was taken straight in.
During her first night in hospital, Georgia, who was 22, suffered a seizure and was later taken for further tests. She was asked various questions by the doctor, including how old she was, to which she replied, “I’m 17”.
“I was very confused and thought, ‘what on earth is going on’.” Georgia was diagnosed with Encephalitis; a rare but serious condition from inflammation of the brain, which can be caused by an infection.
This saw her shockingly lose five years of her memory, including her time spent at sixth form, passing her driving test, and all the years at university, having just completed her degree. In addition, she didn’t remember meeting her boyfriend, Laurence, whom she had been with since they met during fresher’s week at uni.
She remained in hospital for about four weeks, but only remembers the previous few days. “I was conscious and went through treatments, but during that time, I didn’t really know anything. I had no memory, and I would just sit and repeat the same questions over and over again, having no idea why I was there.”
Following a “long and tough” recovery, Georgia, who also lost her taste and smell, relied on her friends’ and family’s memories, along with photos, to piece together the five years she had suddenly lost. In addition, Georgia had to relearn to drive, having passed her test in those five years she had lost.
And when it came to her relationship, they started again, built trust and relived their first dates. “For him, we had been together a while, so I was starting completely fresh,” Georgia shared.
“He was very good, very understanding, and he pretty much started fresh with me, introducing himself again. For me, it would be our first date, and he would count it again as the first time.
“He’s also taken me back to Canterbury, where we went to university, and showed me all the restaurants, bars and the accommodation that we’d stayed in. He’s taken me around the actual university, so we kind of relived some of the experiences again.”
By visiting places they had been to in the past, they hoped that some of Georgia’s memories would return, but they never did.
However, Laurence also recreated the dates that the couple had been on in the past that Georgia couldn’t remember, including an alpaca walk and segwaying. “We got to know each other again”, she said.
The couple have since got engaged and are planning to get married next year.
But it hasn’t been easy. Georgia added: “It is hard sometimes when he might talk about being back at university, or if anyone talks about it, it upsets me as I can’t remember it, and I feel like I’ve lost out on so much.”
Today, Georgia still suffers from exhaustion daily and has to regularly take naps, while learning new things can prove difficult. She also has never regained her taste or smell, and still has no recollection of her memories from the ages of 17 to 22.
Georgia shared: “They are very big, important parts of my life that I wish I could remember. I look back at all the pictures, especially at university, and it just looked like I was having a lot of fun, making so many good memories, but I’ll never remember them and never get them back.
“Encephalitis can affect someone’s memory in any way. I feel kind of lucky that it only took five years, as it could have been worse, but I wish it hadn’t taken any.” Georgia found huge support in the Encephalitis International charity, who help those with the rare condition.
Earlier this year, Georgia and Laurence appeared on Channel 4’s The Dog House in the hope of welcoming a furry companion into their home and to help Georgia with her confidence since her diagnosis. While they didn’t meet their perfect match on the show, they’re still very much looking forward to the day they find their beloved dog.
The latest series of The Dog House, filmed at Woodgreen adoption and rehoming centre in Cambridgeshire, is available to watch on Channel 4. Alternatively, you can check the Woodgreen website if you’re thinking about adopting a pet who is looking for a new home.