"I remember at one point I was left on my own with him and hated it. I didn't know him, but he was acting like we were in love," Jessica recalls.
Little did she know, things were about to get even worse.
She Had A Health Problem
Jessica Sharman started dating Rich Bishop when she was 19, and they were together for seven months before the disaster struck.
When Jessica was 14, she was diagnosed with epilepsy, but it hadn't had too much of an impact on her life. Sadly, that was about to change, and the incident would leave her with memory loss.
She Suffered A Series Of Seizures
Jessica and Rich both worked in London and took the same train from Tunbridge Wells every morning.
One day, Jessica suffered a series of seizures on the train, and her boyfriend didn't know how to help her.
She Didn't Recognize Her Own Mother
When they got to the station, Rich called Jessica's parents and informed them of the incident. They immediately drove to London to comfort her, but her reaction wasn't what they expected.
Jessica didn't recognize her parents. "She was hugging me and asking if I was OK but I just stared back at her blankly. She kept saying she was my mum," she said. But her mother wasn't the only person she didn't recognize.
She Couldn't Recognize Herself
Jessica's mother tried to convince her that she was her mother. She even showed her a picture of them together on her phone.
But Jessica couldn't even recognize herself!
She Eventually Agreed To Go Home With Her Mother
"I found a mirror and looked at my reflection, but it was like I was looking at a stranger," she said.
"I did match the person in the photos, though, so I agreed to go home with my parents," Jessica continued. "Mum put a hand on my knee, but I pushed it off. It felt weird to be touched by a stranger." But this was only the beginning...
She Couldn't Remember Anyone
“I was terrified. I had no idea who anyone was. Everyone was a stranger to me. I didn’t even know my own name,” Jessica said.
"I remember boarding the train that day in March, but that's it." But what about her boyfriend?
She Couldn't Remember Her House
When Jessica arrived home, she couldn't remember where her room was. Not only that, but she also didn't recognize their house.
"My mum gave me a tour, but nothing came back to me." That's when Jessica's mother decided to take her to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. Sadly, her prognosis wasn't promising.
Her Memory Was Gone
The doctors told Jessica's mother it could take months for her memory to return. But there was a chance her memory might never return.
"My head was spinning, it felt like I was in a horror film," Jessica said.
She Had To Re-Learn Life Skills
She had to re-learn how to do simple things. "My parents taught me how to cook again," Jessica said. Her parents also told her about her hobbies and interests.
"My parents told me what TV I liked and how I liked to dress." Jessica also couldn't remember what made her fall in love with her boyfriend.
She Couldn't Remember Her Boyfriend Either
Not only that, but Jessica was shocked to discover that she even had a boyfriend. Who was he? And why did she agree to be in a relationship with him?
"My parents invited Rich over but I didn’t know him," she recalls. How did he react when he saw her?
She Was Scared
She went on to say, "When they left me alone with him, I was really scared. I remember at one point I was left on my own with him and hated it."
"I didn't know him, but he was acting like we were in love."
She Broke Up With Him
Jessica wasn't happy with her boyfriend and ended their relationship. Rich was heartbroken.
"He looked so hurt," Jessica said. But he wasn't about to give up on the love of his life that easily.
He Wanted Her To Fall In Love With Him Again
Rich wanted to make Jessica fall in love with him again and started taking her on dates. He took her to her favorite restaurants and told her stories about their past.
Did his plan work?
She Fell In Love With Him
"He was so patient with me, so sweet, I couldn't help but fall for him," Jessica said.
"I don't remember the first time I fell in love with Rich, but I do remember the second."