A cancer-stricken mystery woman who forgot her identity seems to have rediscovered her name, her history and her family, five months after she turned up in California.

The woman has been living under the name “Sam” at a medical facility in California for the last five months , since she was found barely conscious in a San Diego-area town on Feb. 1. She had no identification with her at the time, and could not recall her name or any details of her life.

“Sam” was diagnosed with stage-three ovarian cancer, as well as a rare form of amnesia.

She also spoke with an Australian accent, prompting investigators to consult with several international law enforcement agencies in their attempt to identify her.

But the shroud of mystery appears lifted, just days after “Sam” started sharing her story with California news stations.

Two women have come forward to claim that “Sam” is actually their sister, 53-year-old Ashley Manetta, of Pennsylvania. They say Manetta moved to Southern California a few years ago and lost touch with the rest of her family in 2013. They add that Manetta is unmarried and has no children.

NBC News San Diego reports that the woman’s nephew recognized her from a TV interview and informed his mother, who is Manetta’s sister. The sister immediately reached out to authorities.

The FBI has not verified that “Sam” is actually Ashley Manetta, but NBC News San Diego says investigators felt confident enough in the match to facilitate a reunion.

What followed was a tearful phone conversation as “Sam” learned her true name and origins.

Ashley Manetta was born in Pennsylvania and lived much of her life in Flagstaff, Arizona, before moving to California. Her sisters say she often took extended trips to Australia, which might explain her Aussie accent, and dreams she said she had of living in Perth.

Manetta told NBC San Diego she plans to leave the medical centre in California so she can move in with one of her sisters in Maryland.

She is expected to resume chemotherapy for her aggressive ovarian cancer, and for the first time in months, she’ll have family by her side to help her through the process.