Watch the woman who falls asleep 15 times a day
[rumble video_id=v3tb49 domain_id=u7nb2]
Belle Hutt, a personal trainer, sleeps 15 times a day due to a rare form of narcolepsy which causes her to sleep no matter how much she avoids.
The 23-year-old was diagnosed with the condition when she was 17 and she had to drop out of college due to this condition. She is also unable to work a full-time job.
Belle’s condition is extremely rare and causes problems but her boyfriend, Maikel Breukelman is always by her side.
Belle says there are days when she gives up but her boyfriend, Maikel never gives up on her.
She told Barcroft TV: “Maikel is one of a kind in the way that he deals with what I’ve got. I couldn’t have got to where I am today without him. I mean, there are days when I still do give up.
“Narcolepsy has changed my whole life. They say that people with narcolepsy feel as if a normal person was not to sleep for 48 hours and then just be put in a working day. That’s how I feel every single day.”
Belle says that she can’t even have lunch, dinner or breakfast without falling asleep.
She said: “I had to leave school, I couldn’t finish my exams and I really struggled with where my life was going.”
“But fortunately, I realised that when I was in the gym, doing running or high-intensity workouts, that’s when I feel most amazing and actually in control. So I decided to become a personal trainer.”
Belle has never met anyone with narcolepsy so she started a hashtag #energeticnarcoleptic. She tells people how she manages to do her daily tasks despite suffering from the rare condition.
Belle says she is often mocked when she is out in public as people think she is drunk. She feels embarrassed and this is why she wants to raise awareness about the condition.
She said: “I’ve had previous boyfriends who would wake me up all the time and raise their voice at me in public. I’m so thankful to have Maikel now.”
Belle and Maikel met three years ago on a skiing holiday.
“Maikel is originally from the Netherlands and so after a while, we decided to move to Amsterdam to be together full time. I was a little bit scared and nervous at first of making such a move with my condition. Especially moving away from my mother.”
“But Maikel has been a big part of making my life easier. I came here with no job, I just wanted to aim for something and create a better life and he’s been so supportive of that.”
She added: I couldn’t have got to where I am today without my mother and Maikel. Having Maikel there behind my narcolepsy is like having another person deal with it along the way.”
“I will try and do everything that I can to overcome every aspect of narcolepsy that hits me because I’ve got it, but it doesn’t have me.”