A South African man named Gerrie Kachelhoffer wakes up every morning without a memory of the previous day, something that has become his life for the past 5 years.
While most married couples may go through the process of a good morning kiss or greeting, Yvonne Kachelhoffer starts her and Gerrie’s day by introducing herself to Gerrie. She often makes sure she wakes up earlier than him, to proceed to go through the morning ritual of acquainting him with the details of his life.
How did this come to be?
In June 2016, Gerrie suffered a traumatic incident.
He travelled to Limpopo, and suffered a mysterious fate that is still a mystery. Gerrie went missing in the Lebowakgomo area according to Polokwane Review, with nothing but his white Toyota left behind to reveal that he had once been present, according to JacarandaFM.
Mysteriously, Gerrie, R4000 and his bible had gone missing, and Gerrie was found 48 hours later by a taxi, while his bakkie was found by Netstar. What happened to Gerrie in those hours still remains unknown, but he had to go to Polokwane Medical-Clinic due to injuries.
The incidents that took place left Gerrie severely traumatized, so much so that his long-term and short-term memory left him.
In an interview with Rian van Heerden, Gerrie and Yvonne walked him through a day in their lives.
Everyday is like a reset. After Yvonne has gently oriented Gerrie with details of his life, introducing herself, reminding him of the names of their three children, he is then able to somewhat go on with his day, but sadly, whilst being fully conscious he will remember none of it tomorrow.
Additionally, Gerrie cannot remember anything of his life before the incident either. Van Heerden asked him how long back he could remember, to which Gerrie replied, “Just today.”
Van Heerden probed the question along the lines of whether the situation cannot be seen somewhat positively, considering we are always told to live as though there will not be a tomorrow. However, Gerrie disagreed and expressed longings. For him, an incredibly saddening thing is that he can no longer read or write, and he longs to read the Bible the way he imagines he once could. However, he stays firm in the understanding that he can always feel God with him.
Picture: JacarandaFm