A barmaid has revealed she has such bad amnesia that she regularly wakes up thinking she is SIX again – forgetting all her memories and even thinking her fiance is a kidnapper.
Chloe Barnard can wake up next to her fiancé not knowing who he is or where she is because of a rare brain condition.
The 29-year-old often wakes up thinking she's a child or a teenager after losing years of memories and assumes that partner of nine years, James, 39, has kidnapped her.
Her memory usually returns within 24 hours but James is forced to calm her down with the help of Chloe's parents Trish, 49, and David 56, while she has been known to call him a paedophile, threaten him with a spanner and tries to convince strangers to call the police.
Chloe, from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, said: "I can go back to being any age. I've been back to being six years old. That was horrifying.
"One night, me and James had a barny that wasn't massive but I'd gone to bed because I was mardy with him and something woke me up.
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"I went downstairs and there was a stairgate, I didn't recognise the house but I thought 'it must be mine because there's a staircase and I'm only six'.
"My partner was on the sofa with the dog, which I didn't know was mine. I sat on the stairs and said 'who are you and who is the dog? I want my mummy and my daddy'.
"He knew what to do and not to panic. He got me back upstairs and he got into bed completely naked and told me to get into bed. I told him I wasn't getting into bed with a pedo and that I want my mummy and daddy. I was stood there with my nan's teddy bear.
"I tried to phone the police but he took my phone. I didn't want him to touch me. I picked up a spanner so I knew I could hurt him if I needed to.
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"He asked what I was going to do with it and I said if he came near me, I'd hit him with it and that I wanted my mummy and daddy.
"He calmed me down and said 'I know your mummy and daddy'. We called them and they explained it and when I woke up the next morning, I was totally fine.
"Another time I went back to being 16. I woke up and asked James who he was and he knew I was having an episode so he took me to work in his lorry so he didn't leave me in a house not knowing where I was.
"I asked if my mum and dad knew I was with him and asked him to ring them and my mum told me that we love each other and we're engaged.
"I wanted to believe her but I didn't and it was really hard for me. I told him I needed a wee so we stopped at a services and I was in the queue for the toilet and I was looking at the staff behind the tills to get their attention without making it obvious to James. I wanted them to call the police.
"I thought he was kidnapping me. A staff member asked if I was ok and I said I wasn't sure and that I'd come in a lorry, I didn't know the driver but my mum said he's ok but I didn't know what to do.
"They offered to call the police but I didn't want to get him in trouble because my mum said he was ok.
"I got back in the lorry and went to sleep and when I came around, I was 19 which was one year into me knowing James.
"I knew who he was but thought he worked at a woodyard. I knew we were in a relationship but I wondered why we were in a lorry and he just said 'you're in a dizzy fit' because that's what he calls them.
"I slept again and when I woke up I was fine."
I tried to phone the police but he took my phone. I didn't want him to touch me. I picked up a spanner so I knew I could hurt him if I needed to.
Barmaid and lorry driver Chloe has an episode once every couple of months which is usually triggered by stress or lack of sleep but medics suspect it may be connected to a stroke she had when she was 19.
She was diagnosed in 2018 after a trip to the pub with James and David and his girlfriend where she suddenly couldn't recognise her fiancé despite them being in a five-year relationship, had forgotten how to drive and assumed she was still with her ex.
Chloe said: "We had a drink, I went to the toilet, came back and thought I was there as a plus one with my dad because I didn't recognise the other two people. I just went along with it. I thought it was my dad's friend or someone from work.
"I didn't recognise my fiancé at all. We drank up, decided to go, my dad got into a car and went and I was wondering what was happening.
"My partner who I didn't recognise asked if I was going to get in the car, I said ok but I thought my dad had pimped me out.
"I thought this is an all-time low for me and a new level for my dad.
"I got in the passenger side and the bloke said I had to drive because I'd hardly drank. I thought he was so rude but I got in the driver's seat and I didn't know how to drive.
I thought he was kidnapping me. A staff member asked if I was ok and I said I wasn't sure and that I'd come in a lorry, I didn't know the driver but my mum said he's ok but I didn't know what to do.
"He asked if I was going to turn the car on and I told him I didn't drive. I'd passed my test the year before but had no knowledge of it.
"He asked if I knew he was and I said I didn't so he told me he was my partner so I said that he wasn't and I had a partner because I thought I was with my ex so he got out of the car and I locked myself in from the inside while I called my mum.
"My mum was explaining that he was my partner. She came to pick me up, she was worried I'd had another stroke."
Chloe believes tiredness and stress play a big factor so she tries to get plenty of sleep and to stay as calm as possible but she could have any episode at any second.
Chloe said: "The consultant told me that it only normally happens twice in a person's lifetime but it happens every couple of months [for me].
"The more sleep I get the more it brings me around and they say stress is a factor. They aren't sure if there's a connection with my stroke but, if so, it took six years for it to start happening.
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"I just have to deal with it but it shatters you out, it can take a whole week to recover.
"James deals with it really well but it does worry him. I couldn't imagine having to look after someone going through it."
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