Althia Bryden, 58, was in bed one evening when her husband, Winston, found her unresponsive.
He describes the moment as “terrifying” as he found his wife “staring and unable to talk” – then immediately called an ambulance.
The grandmother-of-two stayed in hospital for nine days and doctors discovered she had suffered a stroke.
It was caused by a carotid web – a shelf-like structure in the neck that can interrupt the blood flow to the brain.
On July 30, 2024, Althia was admitted back into hospital to have surgery to remove it, and after three months of being unable to talk – she woke up with an Italian accent.
It is thought Althia has the rare condition foreign accent syndrome – a rare medical condition that causes a person’s speech to sound like they have a foreign accent, even though they haven’t acquired it.
Althia, from Highbury, said: “I spent three months after my stroke thinking I’d never be able to talk again.
“I couldn’t talk, read or write – I felt like a shell of the person I once was.
“I was so alone and isolated and I remember feeling just totally lost.
“After my carotid web surgery, a nurse came to my hospital bed do a routine check, and completely out of the blue, I just started speaking.
“She looked as shocked as I did.
“I remember thinking ‘who is that talking?’.
“Firstly, I couldn’t believe it was me talking, but I also didn’t recognise the sound of my voice.”
Medics gathered at Althia’s bedside to hear her talk.
She said: “The nurse rushed to get colleagues round to my bed, no one could believe I was talking after so long.
“But the more I spoke, the more confused we all became.
“They asked me if I had an Italian accent before my stroke and were telling me I had a strong accent – in the whirlwind of it all, I was so confused.
“As the days went on, it was clear that I did have a strong Italian accent, and I had no control over the sound I was making when talking.”
Born and raised in London, Althia was just as shocked as the medical team working with her as it is thought she has the rare condition foreign accent syndrome.
Given the rare nature of the condition, Althia says recovery has been tough as she feels there is nobody she can relate to.
She added: “Doctors and nurses see me as a bit of a medical marvel – none of the nurses, doctors, therapists or surgeons had dealt with foreign accent syndrome in their whole careers. This is when I realised just how rare this condition is.
“I’m so grateful to be alive after my stroke, and I’m also very thankful to be able to communicate after living with no speech for three months.
“But living with foreign accent syndrome is really hard.
“I feel like a big part of me has gone, my personality, my identity, my roots.
“I wake up most mornings hoping that my old voice will be back again, I don’t feel like me with this foreign accent. I can even hear the accent in my head when I’m thinking.
“It’s a story I have to often explain to others too – when I meet people, they ask me where I’m from and I find myself retelling the story of how I’ve come to acquire this accent, over and over again.
“I try my hardest to stay positive and upbeat – I remind myself that I’m still here today and have my husband, two sons and their beautiful families with me – but I do feel a bit like a performer, like a clown in a circus. It’s such a very strange feeling.
“With the support from the Stroke Association, I’ve met many other stroke survivors locally.
“I attend a Stroke Association group, which brings us all together and it’s so helpful to share our lived experiences.
“But as much as every stroke is different, there is always something that two stroke survivors can bond on – I feel like a bit of an outcast.
“I’m yet to meet anyone who has foreign accent syndrome, and it’s hard to not have that kind of support when navigating through this.”
