In May 2024, London grandmother Althia Bryden suffered a stroke that doctors explained was caused by a carotid web, a rare structure in her neck that disrupted blood flow to the brain. She underwent surgery to remove the blockage in August. During her recovery in ICU, she suddenly regained her ability to speak, but the more she spoke, the more confused everyone became. To her shock, she found herself speaking with an Italian accent and using Italian words she didn’t even know. The 58-year-old, who lives with her 63-year-old husband Winston, said she had never studied Italian, nor had she ever visited Italy. Bryden is awaiting a formal diagnosis for what doctors believe may be “foreign accent syndrome” — a rare neurological condition typically associated with brain injury. Bryden described feeling deeply affected by the change in her identity, pointing out that even her laugh is not the same. “I’m still looking for the person I was before,” she said. Despite her struggles, Bryden expressed gratitude for surviving the stroke.
