48-year-old Debbie McCann, a Glasgow resident, has never been to Italy or China in her life… But it didn’t hinder her sporting a heavy Italian accent which she miraculously acquired after a stroke.
| by Genuis | 2011 |
When McCann came to after a stroke, first she thought she had completely lost the gift of speech. Luckily, it turned out to be wrong, but when she regained her ability it was with an outlandish accent that people took for Chinese.
Then her pronunciation altered again, making her sound more like an Italian donna.
Of course, it is not anything unheard-of – she is believed to have developed Foreign Accent Syndrome, a condition that was diagnosed in about 60 people the world over.
It’s not a thing you can live down easily – the Glasgow lady is getting harassed with people always asking her where she hails from. Her accent is so pronounced that she feels uncomfortable every time she speaks out.