Oh, Joan. There’s no need to get upset. Did something bad happen that day? What happened on March twenty-sixth? Take your time.
JOAN
It’s the day after Pepper died.
MINDY
Who’s Pepper?
JOAN
My dog.
MINDY
I’m sorry, honey. Do you miss your dog?
JOAN
Yes.
MINDY
Losing a pet is very tough, I know. It must be even harder when your memories are so vivid. Is it painful to think about your dog Pepper? That’s all right, honey. Take your time. We’ll be right back.
[Music and applause]
MINDY
Welcome back. I’m here with Joan Sully, a special little girl who happens to have a near-perfect memory. Before we move to our next wunderkind, I’d like to get some input from Dr. William Satcher. Dr. Satcher is a neurologist at the Weill Cornell Medical Center here in New York City. Dr. Satcher, tell us, what causes HSAM?
SATCHER
Well, first, I must say that I’m no expert in HSAM. But to my knowledge, there is currently no known cause.
JOAN
My friend Wyatt says I got HSAM when I fell on my head in Home Depot.
[Laughter]
MINDY
Did you really fall?
JOAN
Yes.
MINDY
Tell us what happened.
JOAN
Well, it was when I was two. Dad was pushing me in the cart and I fell out and hit my head on the concrete.
MINDY
How terrible. That must have been very painful.
JOAN
I don’t know. I think so.
MINDY
Were you wearing your little seat belt?
JOAN
No. Dad let me stand up in the big part.
MINDY
Your father wasn’t watching you?
JOAN
He was. He said he was going to put me in the seat but then one of his songs started playing in the store and that’s the first time he ever heard his music playing while he was shopping. I think he was just really excited, that’s all.
MINDY
Were you mad at your daddy for letting you fall?
JOAN
No. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been leaning over.
MINDY
It’s not your fault, Joan. It’s not your fault.
JOAN
Okay.
MINDY
Dr. Satcher, can a fall like the one Joan describes cause HSAM?
SATCHER
No, I don’t believe so. From the research I’ve seen, none of the people with HSAM show brain trauma of any kind. One of the first places we look is the hippocampus. Damage to the hippocampus would result in a compromised memory. We see that in Alzheimer patients, for example. But with HSAM, the opposite is true. We actually see brain regions that are in fact seven times larger than what you’ll find in the average person. We also see far more white matter connecting gray matter, which results in better communication within the brain. But with regard to the original question, without knowing more about Joan’s accident, I can’t speculate about what might have occurred as a result of her fall.
MINDY
Did you see a doctor after you fell, Joan?
JOAN
Yes. She gave me a lollipop.
MINDY
You’re a brave little girl.
[Cheers and applause]
JOAN
My grandmother had that.
MINDY
Had what, dear?
JOAN
What he said. The old-timer’s disease. The one that makes people lose their memories.
MINDY
Yes, Alzheimer’s. So your grandmother is no longer with us?
JOAN
She sings to me from a cassette. I was hoping maybe I could help old people like her remember better.
MINDY
That’s an interesting idea. Dr. Satcher, can Joan’s condition tell us anything about diseases like Alzheimer’s?
SATCHER
It’s possible. But we have a long way to go.
MINDY
What if I’m a parent watching at home and I think my son or daughter has a particularly strong memory, like Joan here? What should I do?
SATCHER
As we’ve discussed, HSAM is very rare, so the chances of your child having it, or any other kind of specialized memory, for that matter, are extremely unlikely. But that’s okay. It’s important to realize that we’re using our memory all the time. We often think of memories as mental postcards, or movies, like Joan said, that we can call up when we want to. But most of the time, it’s automatic. Memory is what teaches a child that a stove is hot and he shouldn’t touch it. That said, there are exercises that a parent can do with his or her child to strengthen and improve memory.
MINDY
We’ve posted three of your exercises up here on our board and we’ll also have them up on our website after the show. Thank you, Dr. Satcher. We’ll be right back.
[Cheers and applause]
MINDY
Welcome back. Before we bring out our next child prodigy, we’d like to invite to the stage Joan’s uncle, who says he has a big surprise for little Joan here. Please, have a seat and introduce yourself.
KEVIN
My name is Kevin. Kevin Deifendorf.
MINDY
Welcome, Kevin. Now, are you the one who records music or the one who works with Joan’s grandfather?
KEVIN
Music.
MINDY
Got it. Now, before you reveal your surprise to Joan, tell us, what’s it like to have a niece with such a unique gift?
KEVIN
She’s in a lot of trouble.
MINDY
Are you saying that HSAM is more like a curse than a gift?
Kevin
No, I’m not saying that at all. Look, I really don’t want to be on the show. I just need to take Joan home.
MINDY
You seem very conflicted about this. Dr. Satcher, let me ask you, what effect does HSAM have on family members?
SATCHER
Well, I can’t speak directly to HSAM. But I can tell you that there is always a ripple effect when it comes to these extreme conditions. Feelings of neglect and jealousy are not uncommon.
MINDY
Interesting. What do you do for work, Kevin? Are you in the music business?
KEVIN
I really don’t want to be interviewed.
MINDY
It’s a simple question.
KEVIN
I’m not working right now. I’m on leave.
MINDY
From what?
KEVIN
Law enforcement.
MINDY
I see. Is there any particular reason why you’ve taken leave?
KEVIN
Actually, I lost my partner.
[Murmurs]
MINDY
I’m sorry to hear that. Let me ask you, why didn’t Joan’s parents bring her here today? Why was it left to you, her uncle?
KEVIN
I’m not Joan’s uncle.
JOAN
Me and Gavin—I mean, Kevin—wrote a song together.
MINDY
You’re not Joan’s uncle?
KEVIN
No.
MINDY
I’m confused. How are you related to her?
KEVIN
I’m not.
JOAN
The song is about memories.
MINDY
Is that right, Joan? You wrote a song about your condition?
JOAN
Gavin wrote most of the lyrics.
MINDY
I’m confused. Is your name Kevin or Gavin?
KEVIN
Kevin.
MINDY
And you wrote a song about Joan’s condition? But she’s not your niece and you’re not related to her? What exactly is your relationship?