A young man was left like ‘a newborn again’ after a brain infection wiped out his memory and left him unable to walk or talk.
Wesley Prosser, 26, couldn’t remember anything from the previous six months and ‘forgot’ how to speak after he was struck down with the auto-immune condition encephalitis.
The potentially rare but deadly condition causes swelling on the brain, and can lead to confusion, seizures and feeling weak.
Car salesman, Wesley had formerly been very healthy and active before he fell ill, regularly hiking and cycling. But he has only just managed to start walking again, four years on from the time he was rushed into hospital.
"I was literally a newborn again. When I woke up, I couldn't walk, couldn't talk,” said Wesley, from Santa Rosa, California, USA.
"It was scary and I was panicking. I felt like my world was ending and I didn't feel like there was any hope.
"I thought I would never walk again and it's taken me four years to learn.
"I used to be so adventurous, I loved hiking and mountain biking so I really want to get back to that."
It was in 2017 when Wesley began suffering from cold-like symptoms. He believed he had come down with a common cold but was rushed to hospital by a friend when he became delirious.
The next thing he remembers is waking up with no memory of the previous six months and without the ability to walk and talk. Wesley even struggled to recognise some of his friends and family.
"I just thought I had a cold and I went to the hospital but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me so I was sent home,” he explained.
"I was just getting worse. My brain was deteriorating and everything became a blur.
“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 was forced to take four years off work while he learned basic tasks like walking, talking, writing and eating and says most of his friends disappeared from his life.
After years of therapy, he is finally making progress and is able to walk unaided.
Last year, Wesley got engaged to his fiance , 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."
