An Australian woman, Kim Hall, noticed an unexpected change in her voice after undergoing jaw reconstruction surgery. However, it wasn't until a week later that her sister pointed it out, making her realize just how different she sounded.

"My mom and my sister came to visit me, and my sister said to my mom, 'oh, she sounds very posh'," the 57-year-old from Goulburn, New South Wales, told news.com.au.

Hall had undergone the procedure after being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in her lower jaw. Initially, she dismissed the comments about her altered speech. "I thought they were a bit stupid," she joked. However, as time passed, she began to notice it herself. Instead of her familiar Australian accent, her speech took on a northern English lilt, according to the outlet.

"Some say I sound like I am from Yorkshire in England. I have never been to England, so only from what they hear, that is where and how I sound," she said. Despite never having visited the UK, she quipped that she might have to now, given the circumstances.

According to the outlet, the condition, known as foreign accent syndrome, is an extremely rare neurological disorder usually triggered by a stroke or brain injury. However, Hall's case--where the accent change followed surgery--has left doctors puzzled.

A shocking diagnosis
Hall's journey began with what seemed like a routine dental visit for a toothache. The pain led to a biopsy, ultimately revealing a cancer diagnosis. "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it was head (and) neck cancer," she said. "Shocked was an understatement."

Following her diagnosis, Hall underwent an extensive treatment plan, including 34 rounds of radiation and chemotherapy. Her surgeon had warned her that, while they could remove the cancer, her jaw would never be the same. The treatment took a toll, leaving her to relearn basic functions like speaking, swallowing, and drinking.

Though she is grateful to be cancer-free, the change in her voice has been difficult to adjust to. "That is who I am. The voice now--I do struggle with it at times," she admitted.

Hall, who works as a support worker at a school in Goulburn, faces daily challenges due to her altered speech. "I get frustrated a lot because there are words I cannot pronounce because of the Australian vocabulary," she explained. Even simple words like "Australia" can be difficult for her. Additionally, she now says "mom" instead of "mum."

Beyond her speech, Hall has also lost her sense of taste and the ability to eat solid foods. "Everything I eat or drink, I smell. So when I have a coffee, I like to smell it," she shared. Socializing has also become difficult since she has to find places that offer smoothies or pureed foods.

Despite these struggles, she remains optimistic. "I'm alive, I don't care how I speak," she said. "To a point, I would love to go back to my old self, like everyone that deals with cancer, but I don't want to dwell on it. I want to try and look forward to my future in whatever it may be."

What is foreign accent syndrome?
Foreign accent syndrome is incredibly rare, with only 112 cases recorded worldwide as of 2019. Speech pathologist Dr. Emma Charter, who is helping Hall with her rehabilitation, explained that the condition is not actually an acquired foreign accent but rather a speech disorder affecting vowel sounds. "Vowels carry a lot of accents. So what's actually happened is her brain has created a change in the way her vowels sound, and we as listeners match that to something we're familiar with … making it sound like she has a Yorkshire accent," Dr. Charter explained.

Hall's case is particularly unusual. "I was very surprised," Dr. Charter said. "Most of the time, the cause is attributed to either a stroke or a brain injury. It's much more rare after surgeries. But it's not unheard of."

Dr. Charter believes Hall's speech is unlikely to revert to her original accent. "The vowel changes that sound like a different accent aren't budging despite the fact that we've tried a fair bit of work," she said. While some people can train themselves to regain their original speech patterns, it requires significant effort and neurological retraining.