MY SLEEPING BEAUTY NIGHTMARE
MEET the real life sleeping beauty - who snoozed for TWO months when a rare sleep disorder took over her life and turned it into a nightmare. Graduate Imaarl Duprey, 23 was in the land of nod for 59 days and acting like a toddler during the episode. She suffers from a debilitating sleep disorder - dubbed Sleeping Beauty Syndrome - which means she can fall into a trance without warning and snooze for 20 hours a day through episodes that typically last ten days. The rare neurological, called Kleine Levin Syndrome (KLS), affects around 1,000 people worldwide and also sees sufferers experiencing extreme exhaustion, paranoia and hysterical behaviour while in the grips of the incurable condition. During an episode Imaarl, a fashion worker of Lewisham, London, relies on round the clock care and assistance from her mum Kerry Griffiths, 46 and sister Shahnequa Duprey, 21.
Other great stories
BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES CAPTURED ACROSS EUROPE
From the crisp, snow clad mountains to vivid bright blue rivers, these breath-taking photographs capture the incredible beauty of various landscapes across France and Italy .
HEROIC BURNS SURVIVOR BECOMES FIREFIGHTER
An American man who suffered horrific third-degree burns to 70 percent of his body in a childhood accident has faced his fears by becoming a firefighter .
WOMAN LOSES OVER 10ST AFTER DITCHING TAKEAWAY HABIT
A Hereford woman has lost 10st 3lbs after ditching her £260-a-month takeaway habit .
ADORABLE SQUIRRELS PREPARE FOR EASTER BREAK
Scurrying along the branch of a tree, a little squirrel pushes a pram packed full of Easter treats .
DOCTORS THOUGHT MY 30CM OVARIAN CYST WAS A BABY DUE TO GROWING BELLY – BUT CANCER WAS RAVISHING MY ORGANS
A woman was diagnosed with cancer after a cyst left her so bloated medics were convinced she was pregnant .
MILLIONS OF LUMINOUS FISH DWARF DIVERS
SWIMMING in unison, millions of silverside fish dwarf the divers .
PORCUPINES COME CLOSE TO VICTORY AGAINST PRIDE OF HUNGRY LIONS
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
TEEN WITH 100s OF BIRTHMARKS BEATS BULLIES TO EMBRACE BEAUTY
A teenage girl nicknamed 'spotty dog' by school bullies has embraced the hundreds of birthmarks that cover her entire face and body .
HOUNDTON TABBY
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
HEARTBREAK DIET LOST ME 11.5ST AND BAGGED ME A FELLA
When Janet Curry, 38, was told she was ‘too big to date’ by a man she met on the dating website Plenty of Fish, she didn’t let it stop her from looking for love .
POLAR BEARS HAVE A SPLASHING TIME
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
MESMERISING FUNGI
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .