A woman suffering from sclerosis recorded a voice bank to swear at her husband (6 photos)

Anna Barrow, 40, began making voice recordings after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in May 2023. Her sentences and phrases include many swear words so she can continue to swear at her husband.





The Greater Manchester, UK, resident has recorded around 300 phrases and words, including the names of her three daughters and, most importantly, swear words. She still doesn't know if she will completely lose her voice, but the help is comforting.



"I can still talk to my family and friends, express my opinions. And I can also shout and swear at my husband Martin, and that's also a bonus," the woman shares.

If Barrow completely loses her voice, she will be able to communicate with the help of a special program and an eye-tracking system installed on her iPad.

"I love talking. My voice is the last bit of independence I have, so it was very difficult for me to prepare for such a loss. I can no longer move my legs or arms," ​​the British woman says.





Barrow first noticed symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in March 2021, but doctors attributed the symptoms to the coronavirus vaccination.

The symptoms gradually worsened, and the loss of sensation spread throughout her body. Anna was referred to a neurology department, but she found herself at the bottom of a 71-week waiting list.

During another meeting at work, Barrow felt that she was having difficulty breathing and swallowing, and was taken away by ambulance. After two weeks in hospital and numerous tests, she was diagnosed.



“As a social worker, I’ve seen a few people with ALS, but they were all men. Given my age and being a woman, I never imagined it would happen to me.”

Two months later, she began the process of recording her voice, with the help of her husband, Martin, 41.

“We didn’t realize how emotionally challenging this process would be. It’s simple on the surface,” Martin says. “Anna had to record phrases using a system called Acapela. The more she talked, the more tired she became. Sometimes the words would sound slurred or incorrect, and we’d have to stop. The process didn't get any easier."



Barrow was working with a speech therapist, but her voice began to change. Even before the recording began, she began to "get upset."

"When that happened, we would put the recording aside for a couple of days and come back to it later. But that only slowed the process down."

Anna finished recording the voice bank a year later, in August 2024. The woman only needs to look at a word for 1.5 seconds, and it plays. For now, she prefers to speak herself, but uses the app when she is very tired.

The service cost £250 a year, but was covered by the ALS charity.