Althia Bryden, a 58-year-old woman from Highbury, north London, has found herself at the center of a medical mystery after suffering a stroke earlier this year.
On May 4, she was discovered unresponsive in her bed with her face noticeably drooping on the right side. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors found she had experienced a stroke that left her unable to speak and without sensation in the upper-right side of her body.
Further investigation revealed the cause to be a carotid web, a rare structural abnormality in her neck that disrupts blood flow to the brain.
In August, surgeons operated to remove the anomaly. The day after her surgery, while recovering in intensive care, Althia unexpectedly began speaking again. To everyone’s amazement, she started speaking out of the blue.
However, her joy was short-lived as medical staff noticed a dramatic change in her voice. They observed that Althia, who had never visited Italy or spoken Italian, was now speaking with a distinct Italian accent and unconsciously using expressions such as “mamma mia,” “bambino,” and “si.”
Her speech and language therapist diagnosed her with foreign accent syndrome, a rare condition where a person’s speech takes on an unfamiliar accent, often following brain damage. Althia’s unfamiliar accent has affected her identity, making her feel like a different person.
Despite the challenges, Althia has received support from the Stroke Association, including home visits and attending support groups, which have helped her come to terms with her new reality.
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