A British woman who woke up with a Chinese accent after suffering a stroke is devastated after being told the side effect is permanent.
Sarah Colwill’s strong Devon drawl disappeared overnight, in one of only 20 known cases of Foreign Accent Syndrome worldwide.
Medical staff say they have exhausted all options and, despite Sarah never visiting China, she has to accept her Far East voice is here to stay.
Sarah, 40, says her life has been made a living hell and she has lost her home, her job and her previous life as a result of her bizarre condition.
Experts say it is caused by a ‘drawing out’ or ‘clipping’ of the vowels that mimics an accent even though the patient has limited exposure to that country.
Sarah says she is trying to remain positive, but since first developing the condition five years ago her life has been turned upside down. She had to leave her job as an IT project coordinator and is in the process of selling her home as she could not afford to pay the mortgage.
She continues to suffer with a multitude of health problems and struggles through every day.
