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Dad of 3 Loses Five Years of Memories Overnight, Test Results Stump Doctors

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In 2016, it seemed as though everything was finally falling into place for Adam Gonzales.

After the end of his first marriage, Adam began a new relationship in 2011. Sadly, the relationship turned abusive, and ended with him in a coma for four months from a traumatic brain injury.

Adam spent a year in the hospital learning how to walk and talk again. Having forgotten his two children from his first marriage, months passed before he was finally reintroduced to them. In 2012, Adam and his children moved to Gilbert, Arizona, for a fresh start.

Not long after moving, he met a woman named Raquel, and the two had an instant connection. After dating for almost three years, the couple married in July of 2015.



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Raquel and her daughter moved in with Adam and his son and daughter, and for over a year, their family finally felt complete. But one day in September of 2016 would change their lives forever.

Adam awoke that morning with no recollection of the past five years. That meant he’d completely forgotten moving to Arizona and becoming a personal trainer, as well as meeting his wife and getting married.

He remembered his children at a much younger age, and had forgotten he’d been previously married and divorced.

When Raquel walked into the living room on that September morning, she immediately knew something was wrong with her husband.

“I asked him: ‘Do you know where you are? Do you know what year this is? Do you know what my name is?’ And he said ‘No’ to all these things,” Raquel said.



When she tried to explain to him who she was, he broke down in tears, unable to remember his own wife and their three children.

Raquel suggested they go to the hospital, and although Adam had no memory of his wife, he went along after his mother reassured him that Raquel was there to help him.

At the hospital, Adam underwent testing that came back with no abnormal results. MRIs, CT scans, and more showed nothing out of the ordinary, even though he’d lost so much of his memory.

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Then in December 2016, Adam woke up suddenly able to recall various memories from those he’d lost. He was able to remember their children and who Raquel was as memories from early on in their relationship came back.

While Adam was in the hospital, he and Raquel began rebuilding their relationship.

“In the hospital, Adam would turn to me saying: ‘If you’re my wife, I think we can kiss,” Raquel said. “This is still the husband I married – he is always trying to get a free kiss. Adam’s always been a flirt and continues to be a flirt. Those were little rays of hope saying: ‘This is still the man that you married – he just can’t remember what year.'”



Adam is still unable to recall many milestones from his relationship with Raquel and their life together, including their marriage, baptisms, and his career.

As he continues to recover his memory, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover medical bills and their costs of living as Adam is unable to work.

“Adam and Raquel love Jesus and know that God is building a story of love, hope, grace and faithfulness in and through them,” the GoFundMe page says. “They are committed to each other and trusting God for His peace and His calm in their storm.”

Our thoughts and prayers are with Adam, Raquel and their family as they continue to heal together.

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Liz was a senior story editor for The Western Journal.
Liz was a senior story editor for The Western Journal.
Location
Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
Health, Entertainment, Faith




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