Watch on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjDIfEq66T_8hdi7dVXI_D990yDMaGqyv Voice 1 Thank you for joining us for Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid. Voice 2 And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live. Voice 1 Deborah Wearing opens the door. Her husband Clive quickly stands up. He is very happy. He laughs and opens his arms to hold her. He says that she is the first person he has seen in years. He tells her that it is as if he has just awoken from a deep sleep. But this is not true. Clive has not been sleeping for years. And it has not been a long time since he saw his wife. His wife visited him yesterday. But Clive cannot remember yesterday. In fact he cannot remember what happened 3 minutes ago. What might a life like that be like? Today’s Spotlight is about Clive Wearing, the man without a memory. Voice 2 It was the morning of March 27, 1985. Clive Wearing woke from sleep. His wife Deborah began talking to him. But Clive did not know what was happening. He could not remember his wife’s name. Deborah called the doctor. She was very worried. The doctor said that Clive was sick with influenza. He just needed more sleep. Voice 1 So Clive stayed at home that day. He went to sleep and Deborah left for work. But when Deborah returned home, Clive was gone. Deborah was afraid. She knew that something was very wrong. Where had he gone? Finally, a police officer called. Clive had left their home. He was out walking the city streets. He did not know where he was, or who he was. No one knew what was wrong. Voice 2 Clive and Deborah went to the hospital. After many tests, the doctor told them what was wrong. A common virus had damaged Clive’s brain. Clive was suffering from encephalitis. Encephalitis happens when a virus infects the brain. The brain grows larger. But it does not have room to expand in the head. It crushes against the bones of the skull. Clive’s encephalitis was caused by a common kind of herpes virus. This virus usually causes wounds on the mouth. But in Clive, the virus spread to his brain. Voice 1 By the time doctors understood the problem, it was too late. The virus had permanently damaged the areas of Clive’s brain that control memory. Clive could no longer form new memories. He could not remember many things from his past. But he could remember his wife. He knew who Deborah was and he knew that he loved her. Voice 2 Memory is an important part of living a normal life. Memory is important for more than just remembering past events. Memory helps us understand the things around us. Healthy people create new memories every second. Our brains store information about what we see, feel, taste, smell, and experience. By remembering these things, we know where we are, who we are and what we are doing. But Clive’s brain cannot store memories in this way. Voice 1 Clive cannot remember anything for longer than a few seconds. He a ...

1. Watch on You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjDIfEq66T_8hdi7dVX
I_D990yDMaGqyv
Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of
broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter
where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Deborah Wearing opens the door. Her husband Clive quickly
stands up. He is very happy. He laughs and opens his arms to
hold her. He says that she is the first person he has seen in
years. He tells her that it is as if he has just awoken from a deep
sleep. But this is not true. Clive has not been sleeping for years.
And it has not been a long time since he saw his wife. His wife
visited him yesterday. But Clive cannot remember yesterday. In
fact he cannot remember what happened 3 minutes ago.
What might a life like that be like? Today’s Spotlight is about
Clive Wearing, the man without a memory.
Voice 2
It was the morning of March 27, 1985. Clive Wearing woke
from sleep. His wife Deborah began talking to him. But Clive
did not know what was happening. He could not remember his
wife’s name. Deborah called the doctor. She was very worried.
The doctor said that Clive was sick with influenza. He just
needed more sleep.
Voice 1
So Clive stayed at home that day. He went to sleep and Deborah
left for work. But when Deborah returned home, Clive was
gone. Deborah was afraid. She knew that something was very
wrong. Where had he gone? Finally, a police officer called.

2. Clive had left their home. He was out walking the city streets.
He did not know where he was, or who he was. No one knew
what was wrong.
Voice 2
Clive and Deborah went to the hospital. After many tests, the
doctor told them what was wrong. A common virus had
damaged Clive’s brain. Clive was suffering from encephalitis.
Encephalitis happens when a virus infects the brain. The brain
grows larger. But it does not have room to expand in the head.
It crushes against the bones of the skull. Clive’s encephalitis
was caused by a common kind of herpes virus. This virus
usually causes wounds on the mouth. But in Clive, the virus
spread to his brain.
Voice 1
By the time doctors understood the problem, it was too late. The
virus had permanently damaged the areas of Clive’s brain that
control memory. Clive could no longer form new memories. He
could not remember many things from his past. But he could
remember his wife. He knew who Deborah was and he knew that
he loved her.
Voice 2
Memory is an important part of living a normal life. Memory is
important for more than just remembering past events. Memory
helps us understand the things around us. Healthy people create
new memories every second. Our brains store information about
what we see, feel, taste, smell, and experience. By remembering
these things, we know where we are, who we are and what we
are doing. But Clive’s brain cannot store memories in this way.
Voice 1
Clive cannot remember anything for longer than a few seconds.
He always believes that he has just woken from being
unconscious. It is as if he thinks he has been sleeping for years.
He always says the same things. He tells his wife:
Voice 3
“I have not heard anything, seen anything, smelled anything,
felt anything, touched anything. It is like being dead. I have not

3. been awake the whole time.”
Voice 2
It can be difficult to talk with Clive. Clive’s memory is so short
that he forgets questions as he is giving the answer. But
although Clive cannot remember most things, Deborah says that
he does remember some things. Before becoming sick, Clive
was a skilled musician and music director. He played music and
also directed singers in groups. One day Deborah took Clive to
the hospital church. Deborah remembers that day.
Voice 4
“I picked up some music and held it open for Clive to see. I
started to sing one of the lines. He started singing the other part
with me. I suddenly recognized what was happening. He could
still read music. He was singing. His brain was still able to
understand music. Singing was in many ways easier than
talking.”
Voice 1
Clive was able to follow music and play the piano. The music
moved his mind through the song. When he plays music, he
seems normal again.
Voice 2
Each experience for Clive is a new one. Each face is new, even
if the person has been with Clive for years. In Clive’s mind, he
is always surrounded by people he does now know. He does not
know where he is or how he got there. But whenever he sees his
wife, he feels happy. He feels safe. Deborah is the only person
he knows.
Voice 1
Clive’s memory loss has also changed Deborah. Especially at
first, Clive depended completely on Deborah. She would have to
answer the same questions again and again. When she was gone,
he was very afraid. And she missed the relationship that they
had before. In 1992, a new home opened for people with brain
injuries. At the home, Clive received special care and treatment
for his memory problem. He began to feel more comfortable and
less afraid.

4. Voice 2
Clive was trying to understand his new life. But Deborah was
also trying to understand her new life, without Clive. She felt
lost, and alone. But she did find peace. One night, she called a
friend who was a Christian. She asked for prayer.
Voice 4
“I didn’t even think I liked Christians. Yet there I was, alone in
my flat and wondering why am I here? What am I doing? I love
this man but I can’t live with him and I can’t live with anybody
else. During the call I felt like this force was with me. I was
drained and it was like life pouring into me.”
Voice 1
After that night, things improved for Deborah. She became a
Christian too. Three years later, Deborah and Clive shared their
marriage vows again. They promised again to love and care for
each other.
Voice 2
Clive has improved a little. He does not have any memory, but
he can learn some new things. He recognizes his home. He talks
more with the people around him. He still plays music. But the
thing that Clive understands best is his love for Deborah. And
although Clive has a serious illness, Deborah still loves Clive
too.
Voice 1
The writer and producer of this program was Joshua Leo. The
voices you heard were from the United States. Computer users
can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on
our website at http://www.radio.english.net. This program is
called “The man without a memory”.