I'm living a real-life 50 first dates - my husband suffered a brain injury after he was flung off his motorbike headfirst

One couple is living a life straight out of a movie - which is a tragedy rather than a  romantic comedy.

Similar to the film 50 First Dates, starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, Jannira Canales has to remind husband Norberto who she is almost everyday as a result of severe head injuries he suffered in a motorbike accident.

Jannira, 27, who is now her 31-year-old husband's full time carer, admits that grief is something she experiences daily.

'The grief hit more when he came home,' Jannira, who lives in Houston, Texas, said.

'Faith is the only thing that keeps me going. Brain injuries are completely unpredictable. It's not an easy journey.'

Jannira Canales has to remind husband Norberto who she is almost everyday as a result of severe head injuries he suffered in a motorbike accident 

The family was on their way to the beach on July 2023 when the horrific accident took place.

Jannira had arrived at the beach first with their son, Aaron, now eight, and was confused when Norberto was not there.

'It was surprising that we had gotten there first,' she recalled. 'I called him as he had a Bluetooth helmet on but he didn't pick up.'

Jannira only realized her husband had been in an accident after a post online with a picture of his bike alongside information on a road closure.

'I saw the police had posted on Facebook about closing off a road and the picture of the motorbike,' she said. 'My stomach dropped.'

The family believe Noberto had been driving at speed and hit a curb before flying off headfirst into a lamp post.

He was rushed to a trauma hospital with fractures to his skull, broken collar bone, fractured rib, spine and broken femur.

He was diagnosed with severe diffuse axonal injury - tearing of the brain's long connecting nerve fibers, which Jannira said was similar to shaken baby syndrome - and his family was told it would be unlikely he would make it.

'A lot of the doctors didn't have any hope,' Jannira recounted. 'They said he had busted his head open and his brain was exposed.' 

After his accident, his family was told it would be unlikely he would make it comparing his condition to shaken baby syndrome 

Jannira is now her husband's full time carer after the horrific accident, admits that grief is something she experiences daily

Noberto was rushed to a trauma hospital with fractures to his skull, broken collar bone, fractured rib, spine and broken femur

The family believe Noberto had been driving at speed and hit a curb before flying off headfirst into a lamp post 

However, his recovery took a turn a month later when Noberto suffered a stroke - which was causing swelling and pressure on the brain stem.

'I was told "you need to start planning a funeral,"' Jannira said.

'They said he's never going to be able to move, walk or breathe on his own. They thought he was going to be paralyzed.'

Miraculously, Noberto began to make a steady recovery, coming out his coma in September 2023 and opening his eyes for a couple of minutes at a time.

He started doing his first 'purposeful movement' in October, when he blew Jannira a kiss.

'After that it started to slowly increase,' the dedicated wife said. 

He had another surgery to fix the fractures on his skull in November 2023 and started to be able to move his legs and fingers before making efforts to talk following the operation.

Sadly, Noberto started declining again in December and had a VP shunt placed in his brain to help it to drain fluid normally, spending a further month in rehabilitation before he came home on January 31, 2024.

He's made huge improvements since coming home, and can now sit up by himself and talk and sing - however, his memory has been severely impacted.

'It's like that film 50 First Dates,' she explained. 'He's like the character called ten second Tom - who reintroduces himself every 10 seconds.'

'If I'm in the middle of feeding him I'll say "can you tell me what you are eating?" and he can say "I'm eating eggs,"' she said.

'But 10 minutes later if you ask he won't remember.'

He had another surgery to fix the fractures on his skull in November 2023 and started to be able to move his legs, fingers and made efforts to talk following the operation. Pictured with his son Aaron before his accident 

Jannira was told by doctors he's was never going to be able to move, walk or breathe on his own again. 'They thought he was going to be paralyzed,' she said

Jannira said she also has to remind her husband who she and her son are, although says that is improving and he is recognizing her more. 

As a result of his accident, Noberto experiences hallucinations, has a lack of vision in his right eye and is completely blind in his left.

While caregiving is a huge commitment, Jannira said she has accepted that it is the new normal.

'You have to accept that this is the new normal and meet them where they are at,' she said.

'My husband's personality didn't change,' she said passionately. 'He's still sassy, sarcastic and still laughs at jokes.'