Althea Braden, 58, shared how a stroke she suffered led to her adopting an Italian accent and even speaking the language fluently, despite never having visited Italy. The story began when her husband discovered she had lost consciousness due to a stroke caused by a blockage in her carotid artery, a condition that can restrict blood flow to the brain. She was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she remained under medical care for nine days.
On July 30, Althea underwent surgery to remove the blockage. Three months later, after struggling with speech loss, she was astonished to find herself speaking with an Italian accent and using Italian words she had never known before.
Doctors believe Althea may have developed what's known as "foreign accent syndrome," a rare condition that causes individuals to speak with an accent that is foreign to them, even if they haven't learned the language.
Reflecting on her experience, Althea said, “After the stroke, I thought I would never speak again. I felt like a shadow of the person I used to be.” She added, “But after the surgery, I was in shock when I started speaking. The words just came out with an Italian accent, and even more strangely, I began speaking Italian words without trying, as if my mind was automatically translating English into Italian.”
Doctors and nurses described her case as a "medical miracle" due to its rarity, as they had never encountered such a case of this unusual syndrome before.