When Alun Morgan, an Englishman, regained consciousness after a stroke, he left doctors speechless…speaking Welsh.
At the age of 81, Alun was evacuated to Wales during World War II as a child but had never actually learned the language.
Surprisingly, upon regaining consciousness after the severe stroke, he found himself fluent in Welsh.
Earlier this year, while watching the news with his wife Yvonne, Alun fell ill.
Three weeks later, after waking up in the hospital, he had replaced his native English with Welsh. Alun remarked: “It gave my wife the shock of her life. The doctors didn’t know what I was saying.”
The former Royal Navy Air Commodore had developed aphasia, a condition that alters the brain’s language center. It is believed that the Welsh he listened to as a boy was triggered by the stroke.
As he continues to recover, Alun is finding it increasingly difficult to speak in Taff.
“I’ve almost forgotten it,” he shared, “but it was an amazing experience.”
by Sasha Dubronitz
