Lily was seven when her mom Katrina woke up from a coma and couldn't remember who she was
Their stories are highlighted in Season 3 of CBC series, You Can’t Ask That
Katina O'Neil was only 29 when she had a cardiac arrest while playing baseball. When she woke up — after being in a coma for three weeks — she thought she was 15 years old and was shocked to discover she had three young children.
"They brought in these three beautiful human beings that are calling me Mom," she says. "I looked like a deer in [the] headlights."
O'Neil tells her story about memory loss on Season 3 of You Can't Ask That, now streaming free on CBC Gem. The series asks misunderstood, judged, or stigmatised people in society the questions you've always wanted to know the answers to. It's about breaking down stereotypes and offering genuine insight into the lives of people who live with labels.
She lost more than a decade of her life and had to rely on other people to fill in the gaps for her.
It hasn't been easy, admits her daughter Lily, who is also featured on another episode of You Can't Ask That. "It was a little sad but I've learned how to deal with it," says Lily about her mom's memory loss. "It's like, 'She lost all those memories, but just make new ones now.'"
Mom and daughter are featured in different series episodes, but we've edited their interviews together here. Watch the video above for the full story.
Watch You Can't Ask That on CBC Gem now.
