Ellen Sadler Slept for Nine Years, Waking Up at Age 20
“The Sleeping Beauty” is a famous fairy tale that has captivated audiences for hundreds of years, and we all know it is a work of fiction. The phenomenon of a person sleeping for many years without being in a vegetative state has never been recognized by modern medicine, despite similar cases having been reported.
Ellen was born in the early 19th century as the twelfth child in a typical family. To help her parents, at the tender age of 11, she left home to work as a nanny in a nearby town. Away from her family and surrounded by strangers, Ellen began to feel unwell. She frequently suffered from headaches, discomfort, and constant drowsiness. These symptoms gradually worsened to the point where she could no longer work normally.
A real-life “Sleeping Beauty” was recorded in Turville, England, in 1871
Ellen had to return home, and her parents took her to the hospital. The doctors were unable to diagnose her condition because her symptoms were unusual and had never been documented before. After 18 weeks of attempts to treat her, they eventually had to discharge Ellen from the hospital without any improvement.
Upon returning home, she suffered from severe headaches and excessive sleepiness. Ellen Sadler felt progressively worse. One day, she quietly lay down on her bed and fell asleep, only to wake up nine years later.
During this time, Ellen’s mother stayed by her side, taking care of her. The “sleeping girl” was fed tea, milk, and liquid food daily to keep her alive. Ellen’s weight and physical condition deteriorated significantly.
Before long, the entire village was aware of Ellen’s situation. People began to visit her home out of curiosity. Gradually, news of the sleeping girl spread throughout the country. Ellen became an unwitting celebrity, attracting visitors from all over England eager to see someone who had slept for so many years.
Doctors and reporters, of course, did not miss this peculiar case. A journalist from the Daily Telegraph described Ellen’s body as very weak, with skin that was unusually soft compared to that of a typical person. Her feet were cold, and her lips were pale. Ellen’s breathing was barely perceptible.
Strangely enough, this story had a happy ending. One day, Ellen Sadler woke up. She had no recollection of what had happened and was utterly surprised when her family recounted the tale of her nine-year-long sleep. When she awoke, she was 20 years old but still had a very small and slender frame.
The Sadler family home
Later on, Ellen was noted to have slightly slower physical development compared to others, and her eyesight gradually deteriorated. However, overall, the health of the “sleeping girl” was not too bad. Ellen married and had six children. She passed away in 1911 at nearly 50 years of age.
Controversies Surrounding the Story
Ellen Sadler may have fallen into a coma or suffered from another illness unknown to 19th-century science. It could have been a chronic sleep disorder, where the patient experiences uncontrollable bouts of sleepiness. Growing up in a large family, Ellen was accustomed to hard work from a young age. Some speculate that her severe fatigue and lack of sleep caused her cataplexy.
There are also theories suggesting that the entire tale of the “sleeping girl” for nine years was merely a hoax by the Sadler family. During those nine years, her family received charitable donations to care for their daughter. For some reason, the mother did not allow doctors to stay and diagnose Ellen for an extended period. Some rumors claimed that Ellen’s mother gave her sleeping pills daily to prevent her from waking up.
At the time, some individuals claimed to have seen a fully awake girl sitting by the window, implying that Ellen was just an “actress.” Additionally, her mother refused offers from doctors to conduct medical examinations at a hospital in London. However, the true answer remains a mystery, as there was no official diagnosis from doctors.
