Lost four decades: Italian man wakes to find his life erased
A 63-year-old resident of Italy fell into a brief coma after a traffic accident; upon waking, he was unable to remember the last 40 years. The man did not recognize his wife and children and was convinced he was still 24 years old.
Luciano D'Adamo's story sounds like the plot of one of Robert Zemeckis’s films. After the 63-year-old man was involved in a car accident in 2019 and fell into a coma, 40 years of his life were "erased" from his memory.
Upon waking, he did not recognize his family members and also believed it was still the year 1980. Consequently, he forgot all the technological advancements that were part of his previous life.
Now, the Italian newspaper "Il Messaggero" has reminded us of the man's story. According to the account published there, upon waking, the man wanted to contact his mother instead of his wife, not remembering that she had already passed away, and he himself was over 60.
He did not know how to use a cell phone, was convinced that his fiancée was 19 years old, and was astonished by the sight of his wife and adult son. It turned out that the last day the man remembers is March 20, 1980.
"I was 24 years old, working in Fiumicino at the time as airport ground staff. When I finished, I returned to Rome, living in Monte Mario. I came home, then went out again," Luciano recounted to the Italian press.
The man was unable to regain his memory. He is working on it under the supervision of neurologists and with the support of his family. He is currently 68 years old and works as an equipment maintenance technician at a school.
