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British woman's stroke leaves her with an Italian accent

There's something universal about getting a kick out of speaking in foreign accents that differ from your own. Whether it's American friends putting on a fake British accent to talk about tea or an Australian speaking in a southern U.S. accent to order barbecue, it's all in good fun. But what is you woke up one day speaking in an accent that wasn't your own outside of your control?

This very thing happened to a British woman after suffering a stroke. It was just another day for Althia Bryden, she and her husband, Winston had settled in for the evening, propped up in bed to catch some television before going off to sleep. But things took a dramatic turn when her husband left the room for a few minutes only to return to Althia slumped over looking strangely.

Winston immediately knew that something wasn't right so he rushed her to the hospital where he found out that she had a stroke. The condition required her to have surgery to clear the blockage to her brain but when she awakened, she no longer recognized the voice coming from her mouth. This wasn't because her speech was slurred due to the stroke, it's because she was speaking in a completely different accent.

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Of course, Althia was thrilled to be speaking at all since she was unable to do so for a period of time after her stroke but it wasn't her accent. The woman who normally spoke with a familiar British accent was suddenly speaking with an Italian accent, except she's never spoken Italian. In fact, she's never even been to the boot shaped country on vacation, yet somehow she picked up the perfect Italian accent while under anesthesia.

Althia and her husband recently appeared on "This Morning," a morning news show in England, to tell the story of Althia's bizarre stroke side effect.

"i just remember to wake up into a ward but I didn't know why I was there, you know? Winston's telling me, my family's telling me I have a stroke. I wasn't sure where I was at the time and I didn't realize I had been taken from my house, from my bed, none of this. You know, a big surprise," Althia says in a thick Italian accent.

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The woman admits to the talk show hosts that it was a scary experience not being able to talk at first. The only thing she can do upon waking from her stroke was to point at things as a means of communication. She explains that she could hear and understand everything going on around her but she was unable to speak until after the surgery where they removed a carotid web. This is a rare thin membrane that can extend within the carotid artery blocking blood flow.

"The next day, you know, they moved me to a ward. The nurse comes to wake me to do blood pressure again, you know cause they're worried about it. So I hear this voice, I've not hear my voice for a long time, you know. I'm like this," Althia reenacts looking around the room. "I didn't realize it was me. I looked behind me in my hospital bed, who is speaking to me, you know. Who is this?"

Althia is one of only 200 or so people around the world who have Foreign Accent Syndrome. This rare condition can develop after damage to the area of your brain that controls speech, can develop without cause or occurring after a seizure or migraine according to the Cleveland Clinic. While the people who have the condition may sound as if they have a different accent, they don't actually have a "foreign" accent. That part of their brain has them forming words

"FAS involves sound changes that aren’t consistent with an accent. For example, accents that replace the “r” in “car” with an “ah” sound still say the “r” in words like “carriage.” Someone with FAS (especially the structural type) will likely still not make that “r” sound. That means their speech won’t exactly match with the accent it’s similar to," Cleveland Clinic explains.

There doesn't seem to be a cure for the condition, though speech therapy may help but there's no guarantee that it will take away the accent completely. It is mainly used to help people with FAS communicate more clearly. Thankfully for Althia, it seems that while her accent may still feel like a bit of a shock, she can communicate clearly with those around her. But for a woman born in London, her Italian accent sure will make for an interesting conversation at parties.

The British Paralympic athletes just got back from Rio, and they were welcomed home with much fanfare.

From Sept. 7 to 18, athletes with disabilities from around the world competed in the Paralympic Games in Rio. If you didn't see or hear much about it, that's probably because TV coverage for the Paralympic Games — while increasing — is still small compared to the pomp and circumstance of the Olympics.

Anne Dickens waves to fans at Heathrow Airport. Dickens won gold as a paracanoeist. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.


Upon returning to Heathrow Airport in London, Britain's Paralympic champions were greeted by a huge cheering crowd of family, friends, and fans. The celebration was well earned too, as the team brought home more medals than any British team since 1988: 147 total, 64 of them gold.

Among the returning athletes was cyclist Sarah Storey, who couldn't believe how big the welcoming party was.

Storey is the most decorated British Paralympian in history and won her 14th gold medal at the 2016 games.

Gold medalist Sarah Storey. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.

"It's been amazing. It's just sensational," Storey said. "I can't believe how much support there is. This is the first time I've ever had this coming home, on this scale. I've never been home on a gold-nosed plane before."

That's right, the British Paralympic athletes were flown home on a gold-nosed plane filled with champagne.

Photo via British Airways/Twitter.

The queen also offered praise to the Paralympic champions, calling their performance at the games "magnificent."

"I offer my warmest congratulations to the athletes of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and indeed to the athletes of all Commonwealth countries, for their many successes in Rio de Janeiro," the queen said.

"I send my good wishes to all those who have contributed to the success of these memorable Games."

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.

The athletes were pretty thrilled to be home after their past few weeks in Rio.

Champions like Abbie Hunnisett, who competed in women's club throw, were greeted by an adoring crowd for photos and autographs.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.

They'll spend the next few days with family, resting and basking in the glory of being national heroes. They'll also be marching in a parade in October and partying in London at a "grand celebration."

Paralympians are not only world-class athletes, they're incredible inspirations.

Kadeena Cox, who won two gold medals in running and cycling, arrives home from Rio. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.

Their stories and accomplishments are a reminder that — through hard work and dedication — all bodies are capable of great things.

There's been a strong effort this year to increase visibility of the Paralympic Games — from the #FillTheSeats campaign to Vogue Brazil's well-intentioned but completely misguided Photoshop stunt.

Just like their peers at the Olympics, athletes at the Paralympics deserve to be welcomed home with accolades and celebration. We dedicate weeks and hours and months of coverage to the Olympics, and the Paralympics should be the same. Siloing Paralympic athletes off to the side in a separate, less covered set of games only serves to reinforce the narrative that people with disabilities aren't as good or as worthy of being recognized as other people are.

Britain pulling out all the stops to welcome their Paralympic champions is a great way to make sure these athletes are getting the attention they deserve, and it's something more countries should do. With four years until the next Paralympic Games, that's more than enough time to make sure they have the welcome home of a lifetime.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images.

More

Watch J.K. Rowling slam Trump and defend freedom of speech like a boss.

'I find almost everything that Mr. Trump says objectionable.'

It's safe to say J.K. Rowling is not a fan of Donald Trump.

She once claimed that Voldemort — the evil, mass-murdering wizard hell-bent on world domination in her novels — "was nowhere near as bad" as the presumptive 2016 GOP nominee for president. 

So I think Trump has yet to win her over.


Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images.

Yet even with her deep-rooted dislike of the reality TV star-turned-presidential hopeful, Rowling came to his defense in a speech on May 16, 2016.

Well ... sort of.

At the PEN America Literary Gala in New York City, where Rowling received the PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award, the author explained why she opposed a popular petition in the U.K. that had aimed to ban Trump from entering Britain. 

Trump's past comments on Muslims, petitioners had argued, qualify as hate speech, and he should not be welcome there.

Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.

In her speech, Rowling explained that the freedom of speech that protects his offensive language is the same freedom that protects her right to call him a "bigot":

“Now, I find almost everything that Mr. Trump says objectionable. I consider him offensive and bigoted. But he has my full support to come to my country and be offensive and bigoted there. His freedom to speak protects my freedom to call him a bigot. His freedom guarantees mine.”

Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images.

"If my offended feelings can justify a travel ban on Donald Trump, I have no moral grounds on which to argue that those offended by feminism, or the fight for transgender rights, or universal suffrage should not oppress campaigners for those causes."

Ultimately, the petition Rowling referred to failed to produce an actual ban on Trump's entry to the U.K. — but not before British parliament had a field day debating the matter, many members using the opportunity to slam the real estate mogul's offensive comments against immigrants and Muslims.

Rowling's remarks serve as a great reminder that, yes, even presidential candidates have the right to say unconscionably offensive things.

As historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall once wrote in reference to a thought by famed philosopher Voltaire, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

During a very heated election season, her words are ones we should all keep in mind — even if it means accepting the racist, sexist, Islamophobicableisthomophobicxenophobic and flat-out despicable things that trickle out of Trump's mouth and into a megaphone.

So, I say we do Rowling a solid and focus on keeping Trump as far away from the White House as possible — not attempt to censor the harmful things he has to say.

Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for MoveOn.org Political Action.

Watch footage from the gala, including J.K. Rowling's speech, below.

Rowling's speech starts at about the 1:49:00 mark.