Adam Gonzales woke up one morning in a strange house surrounded by people calling themselves his family. He had no idea how his near-death experience would come back to haunt him…
Immediate Confusion
Adam Gonzales is a 42-year-old living in Phoenix, Arizona. One morning in September of 2016, he woke up in an unfamiliar place. He didn’t know the room he was in, or where he was in general. The most troubling part was that he couldn’t remember the night before…
Where Was He?
He was absolutely positive that he didn’t know where he was. He began to panic. What did he do last night? What happened? Where was he? He felt like he was in danger…
A Total Stranger
In his haste, he went into the living room where he found a woman looking at him. She looked at him as if she knew him… But, he had no idea who this was.
Is This A Dream?
This must have been an extremely vivid dream, he thought. He just needed to wake up. He tried his best, with no luck.
He Doesn’t Know Her
He didn’t know what to say to this stranger. Should he be mad? Scared? Why was she looked at him with such kind eyes?
It’s Not A Joke…
Finally, he was able to muster up a simple, “Who are you?” The woman chuckled and looked confused. She told him not to joke about that… Now, he was even more confused.
Red Flag
Adam wasn’t sure why she laughed. Was he supposed to know her? Or, what he kidnapped? A red flag went off in his head.
A Scary Answer
Adam repeated his question. She still gave him that confused look, as if he should know who she was. Then, she finally gave him an answer… He couldn’t believe it.
Her Side
The woman said she was his wife, Raquel. She said they’d been together for five years… How could that be?
He Has No Idea
“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 recalled.
This Can’t Be Right This Can’t Be Right
Raquel tried telling him that they were married, but he couldn’t believe her. He didn’t. He had no idea who she was or what she was doing with him. He began to sob and asked for his phone and ID.
The Night Before
She quickly rushed to get his wallet and some photos, hoping to jog his memory. In the moment she left him alone, he still could not remember anything… Not even the night before. What was going on?
The Photos
He was only slightly comforted by seeing his name and face on his ID… But, that didn’t answer his most pressing questions. The pictures she showed him ended up disturbing him… There he was, in marital bliss with this woman he didn’t even know!
Further Evidence
Raquel felt lost. She wasn’t sure what to do, or how to convince him to trust her enough so that she could take him to the hospital. This situation hasn’t gotten any better…
The Details
When she addressed him by his name, Adam was a little shocked. Did she go through his things? How did she know his name… He needed to get out of there, and fast.
What Should He Believe?
Despite all of the physical proof of their relationship, Adam simply couldn’t believe it. She was still a stranger, and he was still without his memory…
Getting Comfortable
Raquel did everything that she could to convince him that she was his wife. She wanted him to be comfortable with her, but she was at a loss…
His Suits?
She told him to get dressed so that they could go to the hospital. He complied, albeit very hesitantly. When he went to his clothes, he was confused… Where were his suits?Â
Needing Answers
This was a really, really bad sign. Raquel had to tell him that he didn’t own any suits, he was a personal trainer. They definitely needed to get to the hospital… Mom’s Opinion
Adam and Raquel went to the hospital for tests. During this process, Adam called his mother for any time of reassurance or answers. “She loves you. You have my blessing,” his mother told him. Then, the doctor had the answer…
Bad Situation
The doctor told them this was a direct effect of a horrifying situation Adam underwent in 2011… He had just been divorced and working for AT&T. He decided to start dating again, but the choices he made would affect his life forever.
The Fight Of His Life
The women he got into a relationship with turned out to be violent and aggressive. At one point very early in their relationship, she struck Adam in the back of a head with a blunt metal object and hung his body from the rafters… Luckily, he was found before it was too late. His heart stopped three times on the way to the hospital, and he fell into a 4-month coma…
No Memory
After he woke up, he did not recognize his ex-wife or their two children. He felt horrible about the situation and about himself… How could he not remember his own kids? He went to many appointments to gain back his motor skills and speech. He made a full recovery physically, but mentally, he was a minefield…
He Needed To Start Over
He struggled a lot to try and remember his family. He fully immersed himself with looking at photos. The shock of losing his memory never went away… He was having a very hard time acclimating back to normal life. So, he moved to Phoenix.
Moving to Phoenix
In Phoenix, Adam was hired as a cable installer. He met Raquel online. After talking for a while, they decided to meet up in person…
It’s Love!
It was love at first sight! They were virtually inseparable. They dated for a few months and then moved in together. Raquel at her own daughter as well, along with Adam’s two. They got married in 2015. Things were looking up…
Starting Over
Now, after this newest episode, all of his memories of Raquel were gone… She was crushed to learn that he was basically starting over, just like he did in 2011. She was determined to get her husband back.
Marriage Certificate
“Silly things would happen – like he said, ‘Do you have our marriage certificate?’ and of course I did,” says Raquel. She was still trying to change her name to his, so she always kept it in her purse. Adam loved that.
It Wasn’t Easy
They had their cute moments, but it wasn’t always easy. At one point, Adam felt that it would be best if they split up. “I am not attracted to you, and you do not turn me on at all.” When she heard that, Raquel was heartbroken. “It’s hard to love someone when they have no idea who you are and they cannot love you,” she said.
Starting Again
She wanted to do everything to win him over. She even learned how to cook, which is something that Adam usually did. He saw her trying and it struck something in his heart… She recalled “He once said, If you’re my wife, I think we can kiss. 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.”
Hard Work
The entire family worked hard for Adam’s recovery. Abby was 12, Lulu was 15 and Elijah was 17 when Adam’s second memory loss occurred in 2016. The girls even tried showing Adam the exercises he taught them to try and jog his memory.
A New Leaf
Raquel and Adam were slowly learning married life. He recalled, “there was some excitement about it and there was a little bit of mystery about who this really nice woman is and was.” Then, their story took another turn…
Way Back When
The two started going out on dates, starting completely over. It was just like when they first started dating…
Getting Flirty
The two would have dinner dates in the hospital cafeteria and were constantly flirty with each other. It was like a new love all over again…
Everything Had Changed
For his children, they were much older than he remembered… He didn’t even know what school they went to! Eventually, they helped him drive to school and routed the GPS so he could make it back home.
The Change
However, three months later, everything turned around… Adam woke up one morning and remembered everything! He immediately remembered his family and went to apologize to him. When Raquel asked if he knew who she was, he replied, “How could I ever forget you? You are my Raquel.”
Returning to Normal
Ever since, things have been improving. He’s recovered so many memories since he first regained them. Doctor’s still aren’t sure why his amnesia was randomly triggered so long after his accident, so they are keeping a close eye on him in the meantime. He still couldn’t remember his wedding day, though, but he decided to handle that himself…
Renewing Their Vows!
Adam and Raquel renewed their vows! Adam is now working as a pastor in a church. He says, “I really learned how to truly surrender to God and have faith and believe that you can overcome the hardest of struggles.”Â