Father gets struck by car and wakes from coma with a 39-year memory gap: ‘I have never done it’
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Imagine closing your eyes in one era and opening them in another, with the world around you transformed beyond recognition.
This is not the plot of a science fiction novel but the real-life experience of Luciano D'Adamo, a 68-year-old man who, after a tragic accident, awoke from a coma to find himself in what seemed like a different universe.
In 2019, Luciano was struck by a car, an event that plunged him into darkness. When he stirred from his coma, he believed it was still 1980, and he was a sprightly 24-year-old.
The reality, however, was that he had lost 39 years of memories and was now living in a world that was bafflingly new to him.
The Rome he remembered was without the smartphones that now dominate our lives, without the GPS technology that guides us through the streets, and without the social and political changes that have shaped the modern world.
Luciano's last memory before the accident was of a day at work as a ground operations officer at Fiumicino airport, a job he held in his youth.
'I still remember the amazement of travelling in a car that showed me a map of Rome on a screen, or rather the Tuttocittà as we once called it, while a voice said: "In 100 metres, turn right,"' he said.
Waking up to a reflection of a 63-year-old man in the mirror, Luciano was horrified. The aging process had occurred without his awareness, and the face staring back at him was that of a stranger.
His wife, whom he remembered as a 19-year-old fiancée, was now a woman shaped by years he could not recall.
'She called me Luciano, and I wondered how she knew my name,' he said.
His son, a child in his memories, was now a man in his 30s, seemingly older than Luciano's own recollection of himself.
The journey of recovery and adaptation has been a long and arduous one for Luciano. Over the past five years, he has worked closely with doctors, psychologists, and his family to bridge the vast expanse of time that he had lost.
He has had to relearn how to interact with the world, not as the young man he remembers being, but as a grandfather with grandchildren to cherish.
One of the few memories that have resurfaced is the birth of his first grandchild, a precious moment that returned to him in fragments: a drawing of a stork, a name, a date, a time, and the writing 'PN 2300' on a crib tag.
Luciano’s love for football, his recollection of historical events like the September 11 attacks, and the political landscape of Italy during the Berlusconi years—all were wiped clean from his mind.
He had to rediscover his beloved Roma football club and learn of the iconic forward Francesco Totti, unknown to him despite leading the team to victory in the 2000-01 Serie A season.
Today, Luciano works in a school, a setting that allows him to interact with children with whom he finds it easy to connect.
Today, he said he still has challenges.
'Sometimes I say that I would like to fly on a plane, I have never done it,' he said.
'My wife says to me: "What are you talking about? We were in Paris together."’
'And I reply: "You have been there, I haven't."'’
He has come to terms with the fact that he is no longer the young man who could sprint up the stairs, and he has embraced the challenge of living in a world that, to him, feels like science fiction.
The hit-and-run driver who caused the accident has never been found, leaving Luciano without compensation and with many unanswered questions.
Yet, despite the hardships, he has shown remarkable resilience and an inspiring ability to adapt to his new reality.
The hit-and-run driver was never found.
How would you navigate such a dramatic shift in your life? What would be the most challenging aspect of adjusting to a future that had leapt forward without you? Join the conversation in the comments below!
This is not the plot of a science fiction novel but the real-life experience of Luciano D'Adamo, a 68-year-old man who, after a tragic accident, awoke from a coma to find himself in what seemed like a different universe.
In 2019, Luciano was struck by a car, an event that plunged him into darkness. When he stirred from his coma, he believed it was still 1980, and he was a sprightly 24-year-old.
The reality, however, was that he had lost 39 years of memories and was now living in a world that was bafflingly new to him.
Luciano D’Adamo has lost 39 years of his memory, and his mind was stuck in 1980 after being struck by a car. Credit: Il Messaggero
The Rome he remembered was without the smartphones that now dominate our lives, without the GPS technology that guides us through the streets, and without the social and political changes that have shaped the modern world.
Luciano's last memory before the accident was of a day at work as a ground operations officer at Fiumicino airport, a job he held in his youth.
'I still remember the amazement of travelling in a car that showed me a map of Rome on a screen, or rather the Tuttocittà as we once called it, while a voice said: "In 100 metres, turn right,"' he said.
Waking up to a reflection of a 63-year-old man in the mirror, Luciano was horrified. The aging process had occurred without his awareness, and the face staring back at him was that of a stranger.
His wife, whom he remembered as a 19-year-old fiancée, was now a woman shaped by years he could not recall.
'She called me Luciano, and I wondered how she knew my name,' he said.
His son, a child in his memories, was now a man in his 30s, seemingly older than Luciano's own recollection of himself.
The journey of recovery and adaptation has been a long and arduous one for Luciano. Over the past five years, he has worked closely with doctors, psychologists, and his family to bridge the vast expanse of time that he had lost.
He has had to relearn how to interact with the world, not as the young man he remembers being, but as a grandfather with grandchildren to cherish.
One of the few memories that have resurfaced is the birth of his first grandchild, a precious moment that returned to him in fragments: a drawing of a stork, a name, a date, a time, and the writing 'PN 2300' on a crib tag.
Luciano’s love for football, his recollection of historical events like the September 11 attacks, and the political landscape of Italy during the Berlusconi years—all were wiped clean from his mind.
He had to rediscover his beloved Roma football club and learn of the iconic forward Francesco Totti, unknown to him despite leading the team to victory in the 2000-01 Serie A season.
Today, Luciano works in a school, a setting that allows him to interact with children with whom he finds it easy to connect.
Today, he said he still has challenges.
'Sometimes I say that I would like to fly on a plane, I have never done it,' he said.
'My wife says to me: "What are you talking about? We were in Paris together."’
'And I reply: "You have been there, I haven't."'’
He has come to terms with the fact that he is no longer the young man who could sprint up the stairs, and he has embraced the challenge of living in a world that, to him, feels like science fiction.
The hit-and-run driver who caused the accident has never been found, leaving Luciano without compensation and with many unanswered questions.
Yet, despite the hardships, he has shown remarkable resilience and an inspiring ability to adapt to his new reality.
The hit-and-run driver was never found.
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