A 'real-life 50 First Dates ' teenager who forgets each day after she's lived it and has to be reminded of what she's done for the past five years is slowly regaining her memory. Caitlin Little, 19, was accidentally hit in the head by a teammate when she was training for a running race and developed anterograde amnesia.
The condition, which was popularised by Drew Barrymore 's character in the hit 2004 film, means that she forgets each day and can't develop new memories since the day of the incident, October 12, 2017. But now the teen's memory is starting to return and she's just taken part in a 5K race, which she never would have been able to do before.
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Caitlin, from North Carolina, US, is now recovering and her parents said it felt like a "miracle" to see her on the mend from the injury she sustained when she was in Southeast Guilford High School in Greensboro.
She was only 14 at the time and taking part in a cross-country run practice session when a teammate slipped and knocked into Caitlin, accidentally hitting her in the temple in the process.
Caitlin remained conscious throughout but later became confused, and had to ask her mother how to open a car door.
Her parents were concerned and took her to hospital, and soon she was diagnosed with the rare condition.
Speaking to local radio station WGHP, Caitlin's said she had to be "very organised" to cope, and added: "So I have lots of Post-It notes that say, 'hey, let's do this', or, 'this is new', or things to help me out. So it's not as hard as I'd imagine it'd be without them."
The Little family have a routine similar to that in 50 First Dates and each day her dad, Chris, wakes Caitlin up and tells her what has happened.
Her mother, Jennifer, added: "She had to have trust in us to continue fighting and seeking. It's a much harder battle if the person that is injured that you're trying to bring out of this, if they're not willing to do it with you, it's almost impossible."
The NHS said that anterograde amnesia is where you have difficulties remembering information and events that have happened since you had a brain injury, or tumour.
They said the condition can affect your ability to learn new information, or to remember people you have met since having the issue.
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