Amazon Prime just added heartbreaking documentary about woman ‘trapped in 1996’
Her life completely changed.
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Previous Page Next PageThe heartbreaking true story of a woman who woke up with sudden memory loss and was unable to recognise her fiancé or her daughter has been made into an Amazon Prime Video documentary.
50,000 First Dates follows the life of Nesh Pillay, who tells her story of amnesia, in a real life version of the Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler-starring film 50 First Dates.
In 2022, Nesh woke up from a nap with memory loss and mistook her then-boyfriend JJ as her Uber driver, unable to understand why he was in her bedroom and filming her.
She couldn’t remember the name of her daughter, and referred to her as ‘the child’ as her motherly instincts of worrying about her dependant kicked in.
The immediate confusion and uncertainty of her life left her with an overwhelming sense of panic and anxiety.
‘Since 2022, most of my life I remember through what other people have told me and through pictures and videos,’ she says in the documentary.
‘I lost my memory.’
Nesh Pillay woke up from a nap in 2022, and forgot everything about her life (Picture: Amazon Prime Video) She had no idea who her fiancé JJ was (Picture: Amazon Prime Video) At first, she mistook him for her Uber driver (Picture: Amazon Prime Video)JJ explains: ‘We woke up and Nesh was… weird. Gradually, over a few hours, she couldn’t remember anything.’
Their life had changed in an instant as Nesh later discovered past head injuries from a ‘clumsy’ childhood and a severe car accident, as well as a recent head trauma had triggered her amnesia.
A neurologist later confirmed she had suffered a concussion and may have experienced multiple seizures that caused her memory loss.
‘I just got more and more odd and lost more and more of my memories,’ she says, recalling the first week of her memory loss.
‘The things I was saying, it was like I had the mind of a 17-year-old.’
Nesh and JJ have worked to recover her memory and are now sharing their story (Picture: Amazon MGM Studios. All Rights Reserved) @pillay.neshMaking this one has me sobbing. I cant explain how scared for her I was. #concussion #invisibledisablility #traumaticbraininjury #memoryloss #motherdaughter
♬ Slipping Through My Fingers – From ‘Mamma Mia!’ Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Meryl Streep & Amanda SeyfriedJJ adds: ‘I was really scared. This person who was like a rock, and now she’s falling apart.’
Nesh has been left unable to remember months of her life, experiencing the world in ‘flashes’ while her personality still remains.
Over time, the Toronto-based marketing professional has been able to recover more and more of her memories, but said: ‘I don’t think I’m the same person that I was before, but I’m a functional version of myself.’
She’s since been sharing her experiences on social media, including the symptoms she’s faced since her memory loss like severe headaches, nausea and confusion, and now reveals her story in 50,000 First Dates.
The docuseries has just begun streaming on Amazon Prime Video, with the first two episodes now available.
JJ became a caretaker, helping Nesh recover and remind her of her life (Picture: Amazon Prime Video) Nesh is slowly recovering her memories (Picture: Amazon Prime Video)The synopsis reads: ‘When Nesh Pillay wakes up with sudden and inexplicable memory loss trapped in the year 1996, she’s shocked to find out her “Uber driver” is actually her fiancé, JJ.
‘Their rom-com-like story goes viral, making international headlines as “The Real Life 50 First Dates Couple.”
‘Now, as real life sets in, their relationship is put to the test as they navigate a new set of challenges around subjective realities, trust, and online trolls accusing Nesh of faking the whole thing.
‘Seeking answers, Nesh tries to get to the bottom of what’s causing her memory loss, while JJ reckons with his new role as a caretaker. With tensions rising as they plan an upcoming wedding, only time will tell if Nesh can fall back in love with JJ in time to say “I do.”
‘Catapulted into a new reality exploring the complexities of love, identity, and resilience, they’ll have to answer the ultimate question: can love exist without memories?’
When the trailer dropped, Amazon Prime fans shared how keen they were to watch it immediately, with @brittanydavis4546 writing: ‘I will have to see this.’
‘Looks interesting,’ @sophiaisabelle027 added, while @RheaPeacelove said: ‘Ready for it to be released today!!’
50,000 First Dates is available to watch on Prime Video.
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