Woman, 23, could 'completely lose voice forever'

A woman who could lose her voice forever is using social media in the hope of finding other people living with a paralysed vocal cord.

Poppy Beech, from Cosby, Leicestershire, said she was born with a paralysed vocal cord on the right side, which had caused her voice to sound quiet and husky.

Three weeks ago she posted her first TikTok video, hoping to find more people like her and "light at the end of the tunnel".

She said: "I have never been able to shout or raise my voice. I have recently learnt to project my voice... I am quite quiet."

She enjoys hiking, running and horse riding and said she did not let the condition hold her back.

"We think this is the way I was born and I have had surgery recently that hasn't improved the sound of my voice, and ongoing speech and language therapy to try and help me project my voice so I can be a little louder."

Ms Beech is awaiting surgery at Northampton General Hospital.

She said she had previously been on a waiting list at a closer hospital for about two years until she was asked if she was willing to travel to a hospital slightly further away.

"The surgeon was concerned if I don't try and have another surgery and I keep straining my left vocal fold that that will eventually strain... I could completely lose my voice," she said.

However, she has learned ways to adapt, including writing down food and drink orders in loud restaurants and bars and taking a whistle when she goes hiking, in case she gets into difficulty.

Her Paralysed Voice Diaries, posted under the name Poppy Speaks Out, document what life is like with a paralysed vocal cord.

"I was worried about hate comments but so far, out of 150,000 views across my page, I haven't had a single hate comment," she said.

"People have messaged me with advice and support and it's been lovely."

If she was one day to lose her voice entirely, she said she would learn sign language as a way of communicating.

While the idea of losing her voice was "very scary", she said she was focusing on the present.

"I have posted some TikToks about finding someone else in the same situation as me to try and find light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

"Because it's so rare I don't really know if it's going to be successful or if I have to keep trialling surgeries."

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