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Amazon's latest docuseries, 50,000 First Dates follows the true story of a woman called Nesh Pillay, who woke up one day with a sudden memory loss and was unable to recognize her partner or daughter.
In 2022, Nesh Pillay woke up from a nap with complete memory loss and was shocked to find her then-boyfriend JJ in her bedroom filming her when she thought he was her Uber driver. She also couldn’t remember the name of her daughter and referred to her as ‘the child’.
The Amazon Prime Video series, released on 11 February 2025, tells the heartbreaking true story of Pillay's amnesia, often dubbed online as the real-life version of Drew Barrymore's character in the romantic comedy film 50 First Dates.
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What did Nesh Pillay suffer from? All about the subject of 50,000 First Dates on Amazon Prime Video
In 2022, a 34-year-old woman based in Toronto, called Nesh Pillay suffered from a traumatic brain injury that resulted in amnesia. She woke up one day with no memory of her daughter or boyfriend, the 32-year-old Johannes Jakope, whom she mistook for her Uber ride.
Pillay had experienced head injuries in the past too but she believed a more recent head trauma likely triggered her amnesia, although she has no memory of it. She consulted a neurologist for her condition, who confirmed she had a concussion and could have experienced multiple seizures which resulted in memory loss. She suffered many side effects like headaches and tremors for her condition and is still in search of treatments that would make her life easier.
Despite her condition, her partner remained by her side, helping her to gradually heal even though she can only retain about 20% of new memories and would often be lost and confused. Their love grew even in the face of such a big obstacle and Jakope eventually proposed and the couple welcomed their son in March 2024.
Nesh Pillay has also shared her journey on social media where she found compassion and support from kind-hearted people. Many have thanked her for being brave enough to share her story which made them feel seen as many individuals have experienced similar conditions in life.
Pillay's story has also been likened to the plots of films like The Vow or 50 First Dates, which explore romantic stories of couples with similar cases of amnesia. Her story is now being adapted into a docu-series, titled 50,000 First Dates: A True Story, by Prime Video.
All about 50,000 First Dates: A True Story
50,000 First Dates: A True Story is a docu-series brought to viewers by Amazon Prime Video that follows the story of Nesh Pillay and how she deals with her amnesia with support from her close ones.
The series explores her diagnosis, meetings with a neuroscientist at the University of Toronto who was able to help her with her condition, and also her relationship with her partner, Jakope, who was supportive throughout and helped her gain trust and rebuild their relationship despite the seemingly insurmountable challenge. He was her primary caregiver and the way he took care of her made her fall in love with him even more.
The docuseries explores in detail the blossoming of their relationship and marriage and even the birth of their son in 2024. 50,000 First Dates: A True Story premieres today on Amazon Prime Video and can be streamed exclusively on Prime Video, Amazon's streaming platform.
Catch Nesh Pillay's journey of recovery on Prime Video today.
