An Australian woman who had surgery on her tonsils last month woke up post-op with an Irish accent!
An Gie Yen has been documenting her peculiar story on TikTok since her hospital visit on 28th April.
@angie.mcyenDay 1: I woke up with an Irish accent 😱 ##sendhelp♬ original sound - angie.mcyen
The 27-year-old is a dentist from Brisbane and has never stepped foot in Ireland.
Regardless, An Gie is now speaking with a distinctive Irish lilt.
@angie.mcyenDay 4: ##foryou ##fyp ##foreignaccentsyndrome ##brunomarscover ##talkingtothemoon ##singing ##weirdbutcool ##surreal ##realornot
Doctors initially discharged An Gie following her surgery and reassured her that her vocal chords would return to normal in a few days.
However, the Brisbanite has since been diagnosed with a very rare condition called 'foreign accent syndrome'.
@angie.mcyenMy voice and Aussie English accent from 2019 before ##foreignaccentsyndrome hit me overnight on the 28th April 2021. ##fyp
While many users on TikTok thought An Gie's videos were a hoax, foreign accent syndrome is a real medical issue.
It usually happens after a stroke resulting in the person speaking with a new accent.
The syndrome has also been known to occur following head trauma, migraines, seizures and some surgeries.
@angie.mcyenDay 14: 🙏 Thank you for the educational video @drkarl about ##foreignaccentsyndrome ##foryou♬ original sound - angie.mcyen
About 100 cases of foreign accent syndrome have been reported worldwide.
Most people find their speech patterns return to normal after time, but it's important to find the cause of the issue.
According to news.com.au, An Gie is planning further tests with a neurologist.
