Speaking to PA Real Life, Althia described the moment she became aware that her accent had changed:
“I simply began talking, just out of the blue. I was as astonished as she [the nurse] was! ‘Who is that talking?’ I recall wondering.
“First of all, I was shocked that I was speaking, but I also didn’t know my voice. The nurse hurried to bring coworkers to my bed. After all this time, no one could believe.
I was still speaking. However, the more I said, the more perplexed we all became. She clarified that when they enquired whether she had “an Italian accent before my stroke,”
They told her that she did, and that it was a “strong accent.” However, she felt that she had “no control” over her voice as days went by and her accent persisted.
