[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> AND NOW, TO THE STORY OF ONE
INCREDIBLE COUPLE AND THE POWER
OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
IN 2011, ADAM GONZALES WAS
ATTACKED AND LEFT FOR DEAD.
HE SURVIVED BUT SUFFERED A
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
AFTER WEEKS IN A COMA, ADAM WOKE
UP WITH ZERO RECOLLECTION OF WHO
HE WAS.
HE LATER MANAGED TO REBUILD HIS
LIFE AND MOVE TO ARIZONA, WHICH
IS WHERE HE MET RAQUEL AND FELL
IN LOVE.
THE TWO WERE MARRIED, HAPPILY,
UNTIL ONE DAY EVERYTHING
CHANGED.
WATCH.
>> I REMEMBER MEETING RAQUEL FOR
THE FIRST TIME.
I WAS EXTREMELY LATE.
I WAS ABOUT AN HOUR LATE BECAUSE
I WENT TO THE WRONG LOCATION.
WHEN I WALKED IN, I SEE THIS
GORGEOUS WOMAN SITTING THERE.
AND I WAS JUST TAKEN, FROM THE
MOMENT THAT I SAW HER.
AND WE SAT DOWN.
AND WHEN WE JUST STARTED
TALKING, WE JUST REALLY GOT LOST
IN CONVERSATION.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING IN
THERE.
>> WE MET DECEMBER 15th, 2012.
IT WAS KIND OF A WHIRLWIND.
WE MOVED IN A COUPLE MONTHS
LATER.
ON NEW YEAR'S EVE OF 2014, ADAM
PROPOSED.
AND I SAID, YES, OBVIOUSLY.
AND THEN, ON JULY 7th OF 2015,
WE WERE MARRIED.
>> HEY, GIRL.
DO YOUR THING.
STOP.
>> WHEN WE ALL CAME TOGETHER, WE
DID FAMILY ACTIVITIES.
WE WENT TO THE PARK OR WE'D DO
THINGS THAT ENGAGED ALL OF US,
ALL FIVE OF US.
>> SEPTEMBER 28 OF 2016 IS WHEN
WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL.
I WALK INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND
HE IS SITTING THERE ON THE
COUCH.
HE'S JUST LOOKING DAZED.
HONEY, ARE YOU OKAY?
HE LOOKS AT ME.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE HIS EYES HAVE
SHIFTED AND THERE'S NO
RECOGNITION.
I ASKED HIM, DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU
ARE?
AND I ASKED HIM, DO YOU KNOW WHO
A
I AM?
AND HE SAID NO.
AND MY HEART JUST DROPPED.
>> ADAM AND RAQUEL ARE HERE.
YOU KNEW THAT ADAM HAD SUFFERED
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY YEARS
EARLIER.
>> YES.
>> BUT HE HADN'T HAD ISSUES
SINCE YOU GOT TOGETHER WITH HIM.
>> HE HAD MOMENTS OF TIME WHEN
HE WOULD FORGET APOINTMENTS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS
PRETTY NORMAL.
I FORGET THINGS ALL THE TIME.
>> TOTALLY.
YOU WALK IN AND WHAT WAS
DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ONE DAY?
>> HE LOOKED COMPLETELY LOST.
AND HE WAS SITTING IN THE LIVING
ROOM, ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON, AND
HE JUST LOOKED PUZZLED.
HE WAS WEARING HIS PAJAMAS.
HE NORMALLY DOESN'T SIT AROUND
AT 5:00 IN THE MORNING WITH ALL
THE LIGHTS ON.
>> YOU START ASKING HIM
QUESTIONS.
LIKE WHAT QUESTIONS AND WHAT WAS
HE SAYING?
>> I ASKED HIM, FIRST OF ALL,
ARE YOU OKAY?
AND HE LOOKED AT ME LUKE I WAS
THIS ALIEN.
I WALKED IN WITH -- IT WASN'T A
CUTE OUTFIT, AS A WIFE.
I WAS WEARING THE UGLIEST
PAJAMAS.
MIS-MATCHED TOP.
MY HAIR WAS IN A BUN.
I HAD LET MYSELF GO, OBVIOUSLY,
IF YOU LOOK AT OLD PICTURES.
I WALK IN AND HE'S LOOKING LIKE,
WHO IS THIS WOMAN?
IF THIS IS --
>> HE DID NOT KNOW THIS IS HIS
WIFE?
>> I WALK IN AND I ASKED HIM
THAT AND I SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHO
I AM?
AND HE SAID NO.
THAT WAS ROUGH BECAUSE I KNEW
THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMETHING
LIKE THIS HAPPENING, AT ONE
POINT, BUT I THINK I NEVER
ACCEPTED IT.
RIGHT?
WE KNOW -- WE KNEW THAT COULD
HAVE HAPPENED BUT I JUST DIDN'T
LIVE WITH THAT IN MY MIND.
I WANTED TO JUST LIVE AND LOVE
HIM AND BE HAPPY.
AND SO, I ASKED HIM, DO YOU KNOW
WHERE YOU'RE AT?
AND HE SAID NO.
>> HE SAID, WHAT AM I DOING IN
ARIZONA.
HE WAS IN TEXAS BEFORE.
SEEING THIS NOW, DO YOU REMEMBER
THE EXCHANGE?
>> NOT THIS, NO.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER THE FEELING
OF NOT KNOWING WHO RAQUEL WAS?
>> NO.
>> NOW, YOU DON'T.
>> THOSE THREE MONTHS ARE GONE
FROM HIM.
HE DOESN'T REMEMBER THOSE THREE
MONTHS.
>> YOU'RE IN A POSITION WHERE,
YOU'RE MARRIED TO THIS MAN BUT
YOU'RE ON YOUR FIRST DATE AND
NOT PREPARED FOR IT, IN TERMS OF
FASHION OR OTHER CHOICES.
WE CAN LAUGH NOW.
BUT EMOTIONALLY, THAT HAD TO BE
VERY HARD.
>> MY WORLD STOPPED.
YOUR HEAR PEOPLE SAY IN AN
ACCIDENT, IT WAS ALMOST IN
SLOW-MOTION.
IT WAS SITTING THERE AND IT
LOOKED LIKE I WAS WATCHING ABOVE
US.
EVERYTHING SLOWED DOWN AND I
SAID, OH, MAN, THIS IS WHAT I
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PREPARED FOR
AND I WASN'T.
>> WHERE WERE YOUR LOVE?
YOUR HISTORY, YOUR MEMORIES?
>> THEY WERE ALL WITH ME.
I HAD TO HOLD THEM FOR HIM.
AND I KNOW FACEBOOK IS A
HORRIBLE THING THESE DAYS, BUT
IT SAVED US.
I NORMALLY -- I DIDN'T STORE ALL
THOSE MEMORIES ANYWHERE.
IN FACT, MONTHS BEFORE, I LOST
ALL HIS PICTURES ON HIS PHONE ON
GOOGLE.
HE WAS SO LIVID.
AND SO, THAT'S BEEN WHAT'S
RECORDED IT.
THEY WERE LOST FROM HIM.
I HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND WIPE
AND SHOW HIM, THIS IS WHERE WE
WENT TO DISNEYLAND.
HE WAS SO MAD ABOUT IT.
>> HE COULDN'T REMEMBER THAT.
>> I SEE THE PICTURES BUT IT'S
NOT COOL.
>> THERE CAME A POINT THAT NOT
FEELING ANYTHING FOR RAQUEL, NOT
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WE'RE BACK WITH ADAM AND
RAQUEL GONZALES.
WE'RE HEARING HOW ADAM WOKE UP
ONE DAY WITH AMNESIA, LINKED TO
A PREVIOUS TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURY THAT LEFT HIM WITH NO
MEMORIES OF MEETING HIS WIFE OF
ONE YEAR.
ADAM, WAS IT TRUE AT ONE POINT
YOU TOLD RAQUEL, I DON'T WANT TO
BE MARRIED TO YOU ANYMORE?
>> IT IS.
I HAD NO EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
WITH HER.
I WAS STILL, IN MY MIND, A
SINGLE, YOU KNOW, DAD.
AND I WAS NOT AT ANY POINT THAT
I WANTED TO BE MARRIED.
SO, I WAS LIKE, LET'S JUST CALL
IT QUITS.
YOU'RE A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.
YOU HAVE YOUR CAREER.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE JUST FINE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO DEAL WITH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
THIS IS A LOT FOR ANYONE TO TAKE
ON.
>> WHAT DID SHE SAY?
>> OOH --
[ LAUGHTER ]
LET'S JUST SAY, SHE'S A GOOD
MATCH FOR ME.
SHE'S LIKE, NO.
I MADE A VOW TO YOU.
AND THROUGH SICKNESS AND IN
HEALTH.
AND I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH
THIS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I LOVE THAT.
WE BROUGHT IN DR. DEREK CHONG IS
THE VICE CHAIR OF NEUROLOGY HERE
IN NEW YORK.
HOW UNCOMMON IS THIS, AMNESIA
LINKED TO A PREVIOUS BRAIN
INJURY OUT OF NOWHERE, YEARS
LATER?
>> IT'S PRETTY RARE BUT THERE'S
SOME CASE REPORTS OF PEOPLE WHO
SUDDENLY LOST MEMORY FOR TEN
DAYS, A MONTH, AND UNABLE TO
REMEMBER IT, AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL.
THEIR OWN LIFE, FOR TEN YEARS,
EVEN.
>> DO YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT
THIS HAPPENING TO YOU IF YOU'VE
HAD A BRAIN INJURY?
>> IT'S SUPER RARE.
THERE'S MAYBE TEN CASES REPORTED
IN THE LITERATURE.
IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.
>> I AM WONDERING IF HE EVER
USES IT.
LIKE FORGOT YOUR BIRTHDAY.
HE DIDN'T PICK UP THE THING AT
THE GROCERY STORE ON THE WAY
HOME.
OH, MY INJURY.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THAT'S MY WILD CARD.
I THOUGHT I TOOK THE TRASH OUT.
>> YEAH.
HE DOES.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT IT'S A
BIG JOKE IN OUR HOUSE.
BUT MY MOTHER MOVED IN WITH US
RIGHT BEFORE HE LOST HIS MEMORY.
AND HE THINKS WE'RE PULLING A
PRANK ON HIM.
HE SAID, I NEVER AGREED TO THAT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> I LOVE HER, THOUGH.
I LOVE HER.
I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE HER.
>> GOOD.
>> HE'S DOING DAMAGE CONTROL.
>> OH.
LISTEN, WE'RE SO HAPPY YOU'RE
FEELING BETTER NOW.
YOU'RE OVER IT.
>> I AM.
I FEEL GOOD.
ONE THING I'D LOVE TO SAY, IF
YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ANY
CIRCUMSTANCE OR ISSUE, YOU HAVE
TO HAVE FAITH.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BELIEVE
YOU CAN GET THROUGH THAT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO.
RIGHT?
[ APPLAUSE ]
YES.
ONE THING FOR QEUL AND MYSELF,
WE HAVE FAITH IN GOD.
WHEN YOU'RE UP AGAINST THE WALL
AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO,
WHAT TO CALL ON, YOU HAVE THE
MOMENTS AND YOU PRAY.
I DO.
>> AMEN.