A TEENAGER from Taunton has spoken of his struggle with a rare memory disorder which means he needs constant reminders to do everyday tasks like brushing his teeth.

Ricky Dean, 19, lost the capacity to make memories when his brain was starved of oxygen at birth - an episode his dad Gary describes as a “car crash” moment.

The agriculture student, who successfully gained five GCSEs, has no sense of time and relies on prompts on blackboards around his home and lists on his phone.

Ricky told the County Gazette: “I never used to go out before I got the phone three years ago, so then my limitations were the front door.

“The worst things about it are missing my appointments with friends and forgetting good things. I can't look forward to anything, like birthdays.”

Dubbed the memory destroyer, the impairment affects every aspect of Ricky's life and he has only recently come to terms with it, finding out just three months ago that his condition will never get better.

“Ricky is one in a million as far as his brain injury is concerned,” Gary said.

“We help with everything from saying 'Ricky you need to eat now it is lunch time' to making sure he wears the appropriate clothing for the weather and helping him with his social life.

“We try to promote independence but can't let Ricky to run a bath or cook because it presents too much of a risk.”

With no diagnosis until he reached his early teens, Ricky's memory problems were a cause of intense frustration growing up. As a child Ricky's anger meant he was repeatedly getting into trouble at school.

Ricky's mum Nicki said: “We knew something was wrong when he was seven. I had to go into school every day, so to get the diagnosis was a relief because we had been saying all this time that he wasn't doing all these things because he wanted to.

“His days must have been a nightmare, not knowing where he is supposed to be or what he is supposed to be doing. We are incredibly proud of Ricky.

“He has come so far and is an inspiration to others and cares so deeply for those less fortunate than himself.”

Ricky's story forms part of a remarkable Channel 5 documentary called The Kids With No Memory, which also follows the lives of two other teenagers with similar impairments.

The programme is being broadcast at 8pm tomorrow (August 6).