Clélia Verdier woke from a three-week medically induced coma convinced she had spent seven years raising triplets who never existed.

The 19-year-old from Lyon told her parents they were grandparents before learning the children were part of an elaborate dream sequence.

Verdier had been placed in the coma after a serious su*cide attempt in June 2025, taking a large amount of medication before being hospitalized for three weeks.

During her unconscious state, she experienced what felt like seven complete years of motherhood.

The Dream Family She Still Mourns

In her coma dreams, Verdier gave birth to triplets named Mila, Miles, and Maïlée, watching them develop distinct personalities over what felt like years.

She remembers one daughter as shy while another was full of energy.

Verdier recalls walks, shared meals, and bedtime stories with children who felt completely real to her unconscious mind.

The dream included tragedy—Maïlée died shortly after birth, leaving Verdier overwhelmed with grief and guilt even within the dream state.

When Reality Returned

She felt physical stress and pain during the dream birth, describing the experience as overwhelmingly real.

Medical experts explain that patients in induced comas can experience vivid hallucinations and delusions that feel authentic.

Stephan Mayer, director of neurocritical care at Mount Sinai Health System, noted that medically-induced comas differ from trauma-induced unconsciousness, allowing "glimpses of awareness."

Living With the Aftermath

Nearly a year later, Verdier continues struggling with the psychological impact of losing children who never existed.

"Now I feel very disconnected from others" and still misses her daughters, she admitted.

"I lived as a mother—even if it was just a dream, with everything I felt and experienced, I will always be their mother. It was my only reality for a while," Verdier stated.

She remains hopeful about having real children one day, carrying the weight of a motherhood that existed only in the space between consciousness and medical intervention.