The plot of the rom-com “50 First Dates” is much less romantic in reality.
Life is, in a way, comparable to Drew Barrymore’s 2004 film for the British TikTok influencer Megan Jackson, whose functional neurological disorder causes a variety of symptoms, including memory loss.
The 21-year-old was diagnosed with a debilitating brain condition at the age of 17 and, as a result, has temporary paralysis, memory problems and seizures. She was involved in documenting her experience on TikTok, where she has over 332,000 followers.
Her girlfriend, 22-year-old Tara Sorkin, developed an assortment of sweet methods to help Jackson’s memory, including keeping a diary for her, taking her to places she had been before and recently celebrating Valentine’s Day. many times.
“We were together for only a few months and we went through too many. We shouldn’t have gone through this amount of trauma and we forgot about it at least four times, “Jackson told Mirror. “It’s like ’50 First Dates. ‘ That’s what everyone calls it. “
Sometimes, following a seizure and erasing the resulting memory, Jackson will be told “this is your girlfriend, Tara” and will respond with confusion.
“I’ll be like, ‘Damn it, I’m not even gay,'” she told the publication. Due to his chronic condition, he thinks it is impossible to really know his sexuality, “because I forgot”.
Perhaps the cruelest part of FND is that it is triggered by extreme emotions, including happiness.
“It simply came to our notice then. I have seizures every day, “she said. “I just need to laugh, then I have a shape. It affects every part of my life.
Particularly funny or sad TV shows can trigger FND, as well as stress. Trying to suppress a crisis, she said, only makes it worse – “You have to get rid of it.”
Her condition made it difficult to maintain traditional jobs.
“I can’t work. I’ve been given so many jobs, “she said
This month, Jackson launched a GoFundMe so that he can afford private health care instead of care provided through the UK’s national public health service.