I had a baby – then lost my memory, part 2

I had a baby – then lost my memory, part 2

From Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

June 28, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

Samina Ali shares her journey of recovery from brain damage and amnesia after childbirth, exploring her evolving relationship with her newborn son and her identity as a writer.

After an undiagnosed case of pre-eclampsia caused catastrophic brain damage and amnesia, Samina Ali returned home from hospital to begin a long recovery. At 29, she found herself relearning the basics of daily life – how to walk, speak and make sense of the world around her. She could still communicate in Urdu, the language of her childhood partly spent in India, but much of her recent life in California felt unreachable. Her husband was a stranger, and her newborn son Ishmael someone she struggled to recognise. The part of her that had once been a writer also seemed out of reach. In those early months, Samina and Ishmael’s lives unfolded in parallel, each navigating the same early milestones in very different ways. At first, she felt disconnected from him, even in competition for care. But over time, as she rebuilt her understanding of the world, a bond began to form – shaped by the fact that they were, in many ways, learning side by side. Gradually, fragments of Samina’s memory began to return but the process was uneven and with it came a growing awareness that the life she was returning to no longer felt entirely her own. Her sense of self had shifted, and her relationship…

People in this episode

Guest: Samina Ali

Topics covered

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service

Places: California, India

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