Amnesiac man reunites with family after 22 years lost

A man in Hubei province has finally returned home after a 22-year odyssey wrought by amnesia following a car accident.

Wan, identified only by his surname, ventured to Liaoning province for work in 2002 at the age of 18. Financial difficulties prevented his return home, and limited communication at the time led to dwindling contact with his family.

A devastating twist occurred in 2009 when a traffic accident left Wan with amnesia and language impairments. Discharged from the hospital with no memory of his past, he clung to his first-generation ID card as his sole link to identity. The document indicated his household registration in Longshan village, Huangshi city, Hubei province.

Unable to recall his past, Wan found work helping a local friend install roller shutters. Each glance at his worn ID card rekindled a yearning for his roots in Huangshi. Yet, the combination of distance and blurred memories kept him from returning.

Fueled by a growing longing for home, Wan embarked on a journey back to Huangshi in late February, armed only with his old ID card. Having traveled over 1,800 kilometers from Liaoning, he arrived on Feb 23 and sought assistance from local police. The village listed on his ID card had been demolished and relocated, leading to the cancellation of his household registration.

Undeterred, police officers used the information from his ID to locate Wan's relatives. After 22 years of separation, an emotional phone call with his mother surnamed Xie, left both parties in tears. Overwhelmed with the news that her son was alive, Xie rushed to the police station for a tearful reunion.

"All these years, I held onto hope that he would return," Xie recounted through tears, revealing the family's relentless search. Wan's father had tirelessly searched for two years after the initial loss of contact in Liaoning. However, the relentless search and yearning took a heavy toll. In 2005, Wan's father suffered a stroke, leaving him bedridden until his passing later that year.

With no sign of Wan returning and the delay in obtaining a second-generation ID card, Wan's household registration was automatically canceled.

Following the emotional reunion, local police not only facilitated a connection with Wan's family but also assisted in restoring his household registration.