Yorkshire woman who lost voice after c-section relearnt to talk by singing ‘Mysterious Girl’ in her head

Leanne Fraser, 31, had a sudden "excruciating" pain following her emergency c-section with her son, Henry, two.

The mum-of-one couldn’t speak for five minutes before her voice returned - which was initially put down to a reaction to anaesthetic.

But in the following weeks Leanne’s speech became stuttered and she began having spasms.

She was referred to a neurologist and was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) – a condition where there is a problem with how the brain sends and receives signals.

The exact cause of FND is unknown.

Leanne only regained her speech when she overheard Henry listening to ‘Mysterious Girl’ by Petre Andre.

She realised singing it in her head helped her talk fluidly to her husband Jake Fraser, 36 - Leanne's carer and a civil servant.

Now Leanne uses songs constantly to help her talk but still struggles various other symptoms such as fatigue, mobility and tremors.

Leanne, a previous personal assistant, from Malton, North Yorkshire, said: "I had a severe speech impediment for 18 months.

"Doctors said I might not be able to speak like me again.

"Henry was listening to songs on YouTube and Peter Andre's Mysterious Girl came on.

"I started singing it in my head and spoke to Jake.

"He said: 'OMG you didn't stutter'.

"It's amazing having my speech back.

"I'm grateful to Peter Andre."

Support our journalism and subscribe to the Yorkshire Post’s newsletter

Leanne was rushed for an emergency c-section when Henry's heart rate started dropping on November 8, 2021.

She said: "They got Henry out safely. Then I had a sudden excruciating pain.

"It felt like my skull was crushing in on itself.

"I couldn't talk at all. All I could do was nod. It was for five minutes then it went back to normal.

"It was incredibly scary."

Leanne was sent home that day but her speech started to decline.

She said: "My speech became worse and worse.

"I started having spasms."

Leanne went back to York hospital three days later and was given an MRI and CT scan - which came back normal and she was sent home.

A few weeks later, in November 2021 Leanne went to see a neurologist after her symptoms continued to persist.

It was then she was diagnosed with FND.

She said: "I had never even heard of the condition."

There was little doctors could do for Leanne's speech and they hoped that over time it would improve.

She went to speech therapy and did her own research to try and find a solution.

Leanne said: "They felt my brain was blocking my ability to talk.

"Nothing seemed to work."

Eventually after 18 months of trying, Leanne found singing in her head help her speak.

She said: "Peter Andre works every time.

"When I started singing in my head, for months it was Peter Andre.

"Now any sort of song works. But singing a slow song makes my speech slower.

"I'm so grateful to talk."

But despite regaining her speech, Leanne still struggles with other symptoms of FND.

She started having non-epileptic seizures five months after being diagnosed.

She said: "I can lose up to 45 minutes unconscious.

"I can have hours of the day wiped out.

"The seizures started happening during the night."

Leanne is now on drugs to help stop her seizures and painkillers to help with her agony.

She struggles with back spasms which can "lock" her body for up to 20 minutes, as well as fatigue and tremors which impact her mobility.

Because of this Leanne often uses a stick around the house and a wheelchair outside.

She said: "Since having Henry I've always had to have someone with me.

"I can't cook. I can't drive.

"It's heart breaking I can't be running around with him.

"I never imagined at the age of 32 I'd be having to use a wheelchair.

"It's debilitating and life changing."

Leanne takes each day as it comes and says some days can be better than others.

She said: "I'm trying to stay positive.

"Before I go to bed I list ten things that I'm really grateful for that day.

"When I wake up I do the same thing.

"My perspective has changed.

"At the start I used to feel like I went into hospital as me and came out a different person. A different mum.

"But I came out as a mum to a gorgeous baby boy.

"Henry is healthy and happy. That's a really big motivation to me - to be the best mum I can be every day."