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MP facing voice loss after surgery shows recovery signs

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

During a June thyroid operation at a hospital in Bath, a surgeon mistakenly severed a nerve, leaving 46-year-old Anna Sabine without a functional voice for months. Known as the "whispering MP," she had to rely on a microphone during debates and initially felt like hiding upon Parliament's return in September. Her vocal strength unexpectedly began returning a few weeks ago, marking its closest point to normal since the procedure. Moving forward, she intends to channel her experience into a public campaign advocating for increased therapy access for adults.

Key points

  • Anna Sabine has reached her closest vocal recovery point since the surgical mistake occur…: Anna Sabine has reached her closest vocal recovery point since the surgical mistake occurred in June.
  • Public support following media appearances helped Sabine overcome the initial urge to hid…: Public support following media appearances helped Sabine overcome the initial urge to hide in Parliament.
  • The Frome and East Somerset MP intends to use her political platform to campaign for impr…: The Frome and East Somerset MP intends to use her political platform to campaign for improved therapy access for adults.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

The "whispering MP" who feared she may never be able to speak confidently again revealed she has seen signs of recovery after suffering nerve damage to her vocal cords during surgery.

Liberal Democrat Anna Sabine lost her voice for several months following a thyroid operation in June, which cut one of the nerves to her vocal cords, leaving her with a condition called vocal cord paralysis.

The MP for Frome and East Somerset said the loss of her voice had made her want to "hide" when Parliament returned in September.

But in a surprise turn of events, Sabine said she awoke a few weeks ago to find it had regained some of its natural strength and "broadly speaking, it's back to where it should be".

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The 46-year-old said she first realised something was wrong when she woke up from surgery in hospital in Bath.

"I had been warned it might feel strange,…

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