Claire Muffett-Rees wakes up after forgetting 20 years of her life
Claire Muffett-Rees 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 losing 20 years of memories. She has now opened up about the harrowing experience.
Claire, who lives in Essex, UK, talks with her husband Scott and their two sons, Jack and Max, about living with encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, that causes them to lose their memories. She appeared on the TV show Step’s Packed Lunch with her husband on 22 February to mark World Encephalitis Day.
Tomorrow is World Encephalitis Day, so hold me and @chipfatinasock Feather @ PackedLunchC4 To raise awareness of encephalitis and how serious it is#world encephalitis day#red4weed#theencephalitissociety#encephalitis#abi#acquired brain injury#stephspackedlunch#channel4pic.twitter.com/33VXkBiF5y
— Claire Muffett-Reece (@MrsMuffettReece) 21 February 2022
Speaking on the show, Scott revealed how his wife was rushed to the hospital one morning after she started having seizures.
“Claire, for about two weeks, had been suffering from a cold she had from our youngest, Max. It just slowly got worse, worse and worse, and more and more lethargic,” He said, as reported by Ladbile.
“And then she went to bed the night before Father’s Day, and in the morning, I couldn’t wake her up,” he said.
Claire was taken to the hospital where she began to have a seizure. Doctors put him on a ventilator before being shifted to the Royal London Hospital. While her condition was initially suspected to be caused by a brain bleed, further tests revealed that she did in fact have encephalitis.
“I woke up and forgot the last 20 years – I didn’t remember my kids’ birthdays”
Great article by Claire – a member of @encephalitis – One who shares his story @Sun
read now???? https://t.co/DnHrINxWMapic.twitter.com/OUlZ5veovX
— Encephalitis Society (@encephalitis) 24 January 2022
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, and one of the most common causes of this is a viral infection. In most cases, it causes flu-like symptoms, but encephalitis can also be life-threatening and cause permanent damage. Mayo Clinic,
Claire told Sun That his memory loss made him forget many important life events. “Even though I knew I had kids I loved and recognised, I couldn’t remember giving birth, their birthday, the first day at school, their likes or dislikes,” she said.
Claire said, “Thankfully, I remembered everything I knew — I don’t know how Scott would have coped if I thought he was a stranger.”
“As far as my lost memories are concerned, there’s a small chance of them coming back, but if not, I’ll just have to make up a lot of new memories.”
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