Teenager who suffered amnesia regains her memory after a HUG from her little brother

March 9, 2015  21:59

A teenager who suffered amnesia and forgot her entire life regained her memory - after a hug from her little brother.

Chloe Inman, 16, suffered total memory loss nearly two years ago after suffering a rare but serious side effect from a lumbar puncture to remove fluid from her spine.

Doctors had tried everything, but the devastated teenager was still not able to recognise her family, friends or understand who she was.

Then one day at home, her brother Caleb, then six, walked into her room and gave her a cuddle.

She claims at this point, her memories came flooding back. 

Miss Inman said: 'I had forgotten my entire life, which was absolutely devastating. I literally lost everything.

'Mum and dad would get very upset as I didn't recognise them and it was hard for them to deal with it.

'We had tried everything. I would look at family photographs and I knew it was me in them but I just couldn't remember anything about why I was there.

'It totally ruined me. I could not go back to school and I lost my family and friends and did not know who I was. It was dreadful.

'My brother and sister, who were six and eight at the time, didn't really understand.

'It sounds weird and is hard to explain but the first thing I remember was my little brother Caleb.

'Our bond is a really powerful thing and he just came in to my room and gave me a big hug.

'We have always had a close bond and a special relationship and somehow that moment just triggered everything coming back to me.

'After that hug all my family memories came back - every last one of them.'

Miss Inman had always suffered bad headaches but it was not until just before her 15th birthday that medical staff diagnosed her with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

This meant she had abnormally high pressure inside her skull, which was causing excruciatingly painful headaches.  

She suffered the severe memory loss after doctors performed a lumbar puncture and found she had twice as much fluid in her spine than usual.

Miss Inman now studies performing arts at City College in Plymouth, Devon, and also volunteers at St John Ambulance. Her dream is to work as an Army medic.

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