‘Like being dropped into someone else’s life'

A resilient Cork man who has gradually pieced his life together after losing 26 years of memory is getting ready to share his story with the world.

In 2003, Bishopstown native Derry O’Leary woke up from a coma confused, scared, and with no idea where or even who he really was. He was 29 at the time.

His coma was caused by complications following a procedure to remove a brain tumour which had been causing him to have debilitating seizures since he was a teenager. At one point, Derry couldn't recognise his parents and didn't know what a cup was.

“It took me time to realise I didn’t know my past. People and places felt familiar, but I couldn’t connect the dots. It was terrifying — like being dropped into someone else’s life with no map,” said Derry.

He added: “I could recognise someone or somewhere, but there was no picture to put to it. Everything before 1999, from birth to age 26, was gone.”

Derry can actually remember the moment he woke up and, in his confusion, assumed his time on earth had ended.

He said: “It’s, in a way, kind of funny now, but it wasn’t then. When I woke up, I didn’t know where I was or what had happened. I looked at the clock on the wall and it had stopped. At first, I thought I was dead.”

There was no light, no choir, no trumpet – just silence, and so I felt, ‘Oh my send-off isn't anything fancy’. Later, when I told the staff in intensive care, they laughed with embarrassment, but it broke the tension and helped me find humour in a very dark moment.”

On 11 January next year, Derry’s memoir ‘The World Behind the Door’ will go on sale worldwide through Amazon. The book is a raw yet uplifting account of his journey from a shattered life to a new beginning and a bright future.

“I first began writing as a way of trying to piece my own life back together — to understand who I was,” recalled Derry.

“Over time, I realised the story could help others too, not just medically, but anyone who feels lost.

“Even my wife, Joan, who only met me after I’d come out of all of this, has shared her perspective. She’s often said she found my story hard to comprehend — how it happened, why, and how I survived,” he added.

In writing his memoir, Derry said the most difficult aspect of it was trying to get across on paper what it feels like to have no past.

He said: “People sometimes joke about wishing they could forget everything, but the truth is, the emotions remain even when the memories don’t. That disconnect is very hard to explain.

“The past is often the bridge in conversations — a school story, a joke about where you used to hang out, those shared memories light up conversations. Not having that was especially tough in the beginning,” added Derry.

Today, life is much brighter for Derry who lives in Spain with his wife Joan where he has rebuilt his life with meaning and independence.

“I still live with challenges — memory loss, the loss of years — but I’ve rebuilt a life with meaning, independence, and hope. Writing the book has helped me put the past into perspective,” he said.

For anyone facing what might feel like insurmountable adversity in their life, Derry said: “Never underestimate your resilience. Even when everything feels shattered, you can rebuild. I just kept going, even when I didn’t care if I made it or not. That was the turning point — I refused to give up. And it is what I would say to anyone if they feel lost or are suffering. Resilience, willpower and belief can get you there.

'The World Behind The Door' by Derry O'Leary will be released worldwide through Amazon on 11 January, 2026. Readers who want to be the first to know when it becomes available for pre-order can sign up at theworldbehindthedoor.com.