A 29-year-old British woman woke up from a stroke only to discover she could no longer speak in her usual accent — instead, she now sounds just like her Thai-born mother.
Cathy Warren, who is of mixed British-Thai heritage, suffered a stroke last September while on holiday with friends in Fethiye, Türkiye, celebrating her 28th birthday.
“I suddenly felt dizzy and couldn’t move my legs. My friend had to help me sit down before going to get help,” she recalled.
However, hotel staff reportedly thought Warren was drunk and sent her back to her room. As her condition worsened, a doctor was finally called, and she was rushed to hospital. A scan later confirmed she had suffered a stroke that left the left side of her body paralyzed.
When she regained consciousness, Warren was shocked to find her voice and accent had completely changed.
“I used to speak with a British accent, but after the stroke, my voice suddenly sounded like my mum’s — Thai accent and all,” she told The Daily Mail.
Neurologist Dr. Greg David Dayrit explained that Warren developed Foreign Accent Syndrome, a rare neurological condition that occurs when areas of the brain responsible for speech and language are damaged, altering pronunciation, tone, and rhythm.
Warren, who is from Basingstoke, Hampshire, said she feels like she has “lost part of her identity” as her original accent has yet to return despite months of speech therapy.
“I’ve finished my therapy, but my accent hasn’t gone back. The doctors can’t promise it ever will,” she said.
After spending a month in a Turkish hospital, Warren returned to the UK in October 2024 and underwent five months of intensive rehabilitation. She can now walk independently, but her voice remains distinctly Thai-accented.
“I used to need three people to help me walk. Now I can walk on my own — but my voice still isn’t mine,” she said.
