Life Changing

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Factual: Life Stories

Extraordinary stories of life's turning points.

Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have reshaped their lives in the most unpredictable ways.

In this series Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have set their lives on an entirely different course.

This podcast is all about the human experience, how people deal with obstacles that turn their lives upside down. The journeys are not always straightforward and there are often some remarkable discoveries along the way.

Would you like to appear on the podcast? Do you have an extraordinary story to tell? We'd love to hear from you: lifechanging@bbc.co.uk

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Life Changing: The day I lost a lifetime of memories

The day I lost a lifetime of memories

BBC Radio 4 - Life Changing, The day I lost a lifetime of memories

Jane Garvey talks to Charlie Wilson about forgetting everyone and everything in his life

In 2008 Charlie Wilson suffered a massive stroke and was rushed to hospital. When he woke up he didn’t recognise his wife or children and couldn’t remember anything about his life.

Charlie Wilson is a married father of two from Aberdeen, not that he had any recollection of that when he woke up in a hospital bed in June 2008.

Before that day he had lived a very comfortable, sometimes lavish lifestyle. A self-confessed workaholic, he often worked 16-hour days as a self-employed finance director in charge of multi-million-pound deals. That all came to a sudden halt when Charlie, then 44, suffered a massive stroke and woke up with no memory of who he was. He didn’t recognise his wife or his children, in fact every single memory of Charlie’s life up to that point was now gone.

His recovery was a slow and often frustrating process; he not only had to accept what he was being told by others about who he was, but he also had to relearn simple tasks like brushing his teeth or tying his shoelaces. Charlie rarely looks at old photo albums now, it can be frustrating looking back at a life and at people he doesn’t recognise. Those memories will never come back but overall his recovery has been remarkably positive. He’s returned to working in finance, now at the University of Aberdeen. 

Over the last 12 years Charlie has learned techniques which help him recall what he’s been told about his earlier life and how to keep hold of the new memories he’s making with his family.

Charlie was given an hour to live following the stroke but now says it’s a blessing to be alive and always looks to the future.

Do you have a story about a life-changing moment that you would like to share? You can contact the programme at Lifechanging@bbc.co.uk

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The day I lost a lifetime of memories

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