Woman Shares How She Made Childhood Sweetheart Fall in Love with Her Again after He Lost His Memory

Orla and Thomas McKinley have gained attention after their bittersweet love story became publicized. Orla had to get her husband to fall in love with her again after he lost his memories in a fatal car crash.

The McKinleys’ tale sounds a lot like stuff from a fantasy romance movie. Though unarguably heartwarming, there is still that tragedy that could have turned out for the worst.

Thomas McKinley was involved in a ghastly car crash that left him bedridden. He escaped death but had a massive gap in his memories as he couldn't regain some 21 years of his past.

Losing two decades of his memories meant that he lost everything he'd known about Orla, his childhood lover. Orla and Thomas had dated for a little while in their teens, and just when it fizzled out, the accident happened to leave Thomas incapacitated.

In an interview, he said:

“I woke up in the hospital and had no idea what had happened or why I was there. There were lots of people sitting around my bed, and though the faces seemed familiar, I didn’t know their names or who they were.”

Despite the dreary scenario, he woke up to; he explained that his survival was termed “a miracle” by the doctors. He, however, had a lot to do for him to get back to performing his daily activities like he once did. He went through the complicated process of learning to do every single thing he'd already known just like a baby would.

Although oblivious to it, he had Orla rooting for him all through. The 40-year-old disclosed that she had chosen to stay away to afford Thomas’ family privacy. She was worried but kept getting every information about his progress from her cousin.

About a year after the incident that led to his memory loss, the pair ran into each other on a night out, and they seemed to hit it off right away as Orla told Thomas a lot about what they had together.

They renewed their relationship, and Orla explained that she was thrilled to find that he fell for her once more.

Orla:

“We started spending more time together, and I was thrilled when he grew feelings for me again. My feelings for him had never really gone away.”

The duo tied the knot in 2011 and are now proud parents of five beautiful children. Now, the couple credit the tragedy as the reason they got back together with Thomas especially calling it a miracle.

Orla:

“Of course I wish Tom had never had the accident, but it did bring us back together. His life was on the line, and he is very lucky to be here, and I’m even luckier.”

You'd be surprised to find that love stories like the McKinley’s aren't uncommon. Sometime in 2013, Fox 9 published a similar story.

Angela Sartin-Hartung lost her memory after she was in an accident only for her to regain consciousness and find that she was married to a man she couldn't recognize! However, true love prevailed, and the duo renewed their vows once again.