Man wakes up 'like a newborn' after brain bug makes him forget everything

When Wesley Prosser came down with cold-like symptoms, he thought it would go away in a few days.

But things only got worse. He was rushed to the hospital when he became delirious.

Six months after arriving at the hospital, Wesley woke up unable to walk or talk, and with no memory of the six months before he became ill.

Wesley, 26, was struck down with the auto-immune condition encephalitis – a potentially deadly condition that causes swelling on the brain.

The car salesman, from Santa Rosa, California, USA, said: ‘It was scary and I was panicking.

‘I felt like my world was ending and I didn’t feel like there was any hope.’

What is encephalitis and how can you spot it?

Encephalitis is a rare condition in which the brain becomes inflamed and swollen.

It can be life threatening and requires urgent treatment.

Symptoms often begin similar to a cold or flu, but in a space of days or weeks can include:

  • confusion or disorientation
  • seizures or fits
  • changes in personality and behaviour
  • difficulty speaking
  • weakness or loss of movement in some parts of the body
  • loss of consciousness

If you spot these symptoms, it’s vital you call 999.

Encephalitis is typically caused by a viral or bacterial infection or a problem with the immune system.

While some people make a fully recovery from encephalitis, the condition can leave you with memory loss, frequent seizures, personality changes, difficulty concentrating, and constant tiredness.

Catching it in time is key – knowing the signs could mean you save someone’s life.

Back in 2017, Wesley was feeling a little under the weather. Friends realised something more serious was wrong so took him to hospital.

Sadly, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so Wesley was sent home – but he kept getting worse.

That was until the shocking moment he woke up in hospital with no memory of the previous months.

‘My brain was deteriorating and everything became a blur,’ he remembered.

‘I woke up in the hospital and I was literally a newborn again.

‘I was confused. It had been six months since I’d become ill and I have no recollection of those six months before.

‘There were some people I didn’t recognise.

‘My teeth were dead basically because I hadn’t been brushing them for months while I was in such a blur.

‘I had to restart my life at 22.’

Wesley had to stop work for four years while he relearned how to walk, talk, write and eat.

He struggled as friends disappeared from his life.

After four years of therapy, Wesley is finally making progress and is able to walk unaided.

Last year, Wesley got engaged to fiancé, Griselda, 26, and the pair plan to marry next month.

‘I can’t wait to get married,’ he said. ‘Things are finally looking up.

‘A lot of people who I thought cared about me left so now I have a smaller group of friends but they’re people who actually care about me.

‘I can walk a bit now but not perfectly because four years on and I’m still trying to regain strength.

‘I’m still progressing with lots of therapy and lots of squats and I’m really happy with how far I’ve come.’

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