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After a brain injury wiped her memory, this woman had to relearn who she was

Explaining retrograde amnesia is no easy task. That's why Jing Wu uses the Jason Bourne series and 50 First Dates as a reference. But rather than being a CIA assassin or Drew Barrymore, Jing is a pharmacist with a traumatic brain injury who is dedicated to helping others who face adversity.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Explaining retrograde amnesia is no easy task. That’s why Jing Wu uses the "Jason Bourne" series as a reference.

“But instead of an assassin, I’m a pharmacist,” Jing said, laughing.

Despite being 26 years old, her memory is only five. For Jing, life began in 2013, in a hospital bed with a pounding headache.

She doesn’t remember how she got there. She was told she was long boarding with a friend and hit her head. After being in a coma for days, she woke up. In addition to having difficulty remembering anything before the accident, Jing couldn’t comprehend emotion, sarcasm or humor. She couldn’t read, smell, taste or walk. All learned behaviors were gone.

“My memories are behind a curtain,” said Jing. “So I’ll see a boat and it’ll be like a bunch of difference scenes in my life where a boat was involved.”

But the most difficult part was "losing" her relationships with others. She awoke to a life filled with friends, a boyfriend and family she was unsure of.

“I don’t remember being raised by my parents,” said Jing. “It really tries your relationship with people because they have expectations about you from before."

Just weeks after her accident, Jing was discharged from the hospital. She began rehab in her parent’s backyard, re-learning to walk and read.

With not many options, Jing decided to continue on the road her past-self had built.

Her accident occurred in the summer of 2013 after graduating with a bachelor's degree.She planned on continuing her education towards a doctorate degree in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin. So just two months after lying comatose in a hospital bed, Jing began school.

But how could she possibly comprehend the information required to attain a doctorate?

The parts of Jing's brain that were damaged controlled her emotions and memories, but other areas of her brain operated normally. So everything she learned in class before came back easily.

“When I saw chemistry, I could just do it. It’s the same with I can speak two other languages. I don’t remember learning those languages… I just can,” said Jing. “So my past self and who I am now, I realize part of it was built by her.”

Living with a traumatic brain injury proved difficult. Unable to understand emotions, Jing didn’t realize she was embarrassed and refused to admit she was different than her classmates. She spiraled into darkness.

Traumatic brain injuries are risk factors for suicide, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That was the case for Jing. For two years, she said she was trapped in her own personal hell, struggling day after day.

“I was trying to figure out if there’s a reason… or purpose,” said Jing.

Jing found purpose through people she calls her peers, those struggling to overcome traumatic brain injuries, suicidal ideation and other difficult circumstances.

She created the blog, "The Mind Reset," where she wrote about her new life. Little did she know she was building a community.

“What drives me are my peers and what I understand now about how difficult some people’s lives are,” said Jing.

The Mind Reset transformed into a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting those affected by acute or chronic conditions or diseases to achieve their self-determined quality of life as well as de-stigmatize many negative aspects of being ill.

“I started the blog for myself to be like, ‘Okay, you need to realize your truth. You need to realize this is part of who you are,’” said Jing. “I’m going to do this for other people like me, so we don’t have to be alone.”

Five years after starting life over, Jing graduated from her doctorate program, completed a residency at the American Pharmacists Association and started a non-profit. It is now the first time in her short life that she doesn't have a plan for the future.

“I’m to this point now like, ‘What do I do?’” said Jing.

As she's figuring it out, Jing continues to explore her new self. She admits she is an odd combination between a child, an adult and a senior. She views the world as a child, excited to touch, feel and experience everything. She is an adult because she understands physical pain and realizes life is short.

That perspective helps her relate and understand others.

“Life is tough for any person, no matter what you’re going through. But there’s so much joy in life too,” said Jing. “I think it’s really important for you to protect your soul. The reason being that that’s the one thing that translated over for me in my lifetime. Who you are and the values you have, that should be the most important thing you take care of.”

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