Tatum O'Neal Reveals Relapse Left Her Unable To Walk, Struggles Continue

Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal suffered several dramatic medical complications after relapsing and overdosing on drugs.

The Paper Moon actress was close to death too many times to count. "I almost died," she confessed. Her eldest son Kevin McEnroe, 37, believed this was the call he and his siblings had feared. "It was the phone call we'd always been waiting for."

McEnroe, whose father is tennis legend John McEnroe, continued. "She also had a cardiac arrest and several seizures. There were times we didn't think she would survive," the mother and son shared the details with PEOPLE magazine.

The stroke had put O'Neal in a coma that lasted six weeks, and even as she seemed to be pulling through, Kevin and his siblings Sean, 35, and Emily, 32, still had immense fears over her quality of life. They wondered if she would ever walk or talk again.

The struggle was so real that the family kept the devastating news a secret for three years. Yes, this overdose happened in 2020, and for the past three years, O'Neal had been in numerous rehab facilities trying to regain her strength, memory, and ability to read and write.

She has been making better progress than most people in that position. "I've been through a lot," she admits, but is finally ready to share her story, hoping it will help someone else who deals with sobriety.

O'Neal's addiction story is a far too common one in society today. She got hooked on prescription pills during the pandemic.

The actress was prescribed pain meds for her back and neck pain and rheumatoid arthritis. In May 2020, she overdosed on pain medication, opiates, and morphine.

Luckily, LA friend in her apartment found her, and she was rushed to the hospital. Since the incident, she has been focused on her recovery. "She had become very isolated," says Kevin proving it to be a few difficult years for the actress.

"With the addition of morphine and heavier pharmaceuticals, it was getting scary. COVID, chronic pain, all these things led to a place of isolation. In that place, I don't think there was much hope for her."

While recovering, things got worse for the actress; she was diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects the language part of the brain. In addition to slipping into a coma, she "had damage to her right frontal cortex."

Kevin admitted, "At times, it was touch and go. I had to call my brother and sister and say she was considered blind, deaf, and might never speak again." When she came out of the coma, "She didn't know where she was; she couldn't say, 'I'm scared,'" recalled Kevin.

To make matters worse, her family could not see her in person because of COVID restrictions. They could only communicate through video calls and phone calls when they were finally able to go and see their mom, "Emily first visited her, she had to stand behind glass," says Kevin.

Thankfully, O'Neal is on her way to recovery and focusing on sobriety. It's a struggle, but she attends Twelve Step meetings and attends therapy. "Emotionally, the things that made my mom want to take drugs in the first place are still very present," admits Kevin.

"I've been trying to get sober my whole life. Every day, I am trying," admits O'Neal.