'My donated Brummie accent gives me confidence'
BBCA man who appealed for help to no longer sound like a "character from Star Wars" says he has found his calling.
Christian Wilson, from Bromsgrove, has verbal dyspraxia - a difficulty in placing muscles in the correct position to produce speech. He uses text-to-speech software in order to communicate, but said he wanted to sound "like a man from Birmingham".
The 24-year-old's dream was made possible in 2024 when he selected two voice donors that blended a Birmingham accent and a Warwickshire accent, which he hoped would help him sound more like his father.
Since May, Wilson has worked at Worcestershire County Council as a SEND Peer Advocate. He said his new dialect had given him "the confidence to voice [his] opinion".
Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester on Thursday, he told presenter Tammy Gooding: "There was a moment where I thought, this is really what I'm meant to do.
"I was really excited about it, because as long as I can remember I've always wanted to be an advocate, plus I have always been passionate about education."
According to the NHS, verbal dyspraxia is a speech disorder where the muscles have not been damaged, but the messages from the brain that tell the muscles what to do have been affected.
The condition caused Wilson to start his search to find his voice.
Previously, he said: "I'm from Bromsgrove and I was born in Birmingham.
"I want to sound like a man from Birmingham, not a character from Star Wars or a cyborg from Doctor Who."
And now as a SEND Peer Advocate, Wilson said he now had the confidence to challenge Ofsted representatives to "do more" for children and young people with disabilities.
He said: "The representatives said they would definitely feed back what I had said. My hopes for the future are that I continue to use my voice as an instrument to do good.
"I hope to continue to advocate for disabled children and young people by sharing my expertise and experience with whoever necessary to improve the lives of others in Worcestershire."
In 2024, he described feeling emotional when he listened through to the voice submissions with his family.
"As I was listening to them, I knew I was getting closer to my dream, something that I thought never would happen," he said.
"I hope to use my new voice to share my experiences with other people - that would be great."
Wilson's sister felt an instant connection to the Birmingham accent he selected for his new voice.
He said: "I liked the voice originally, but when my sister heard it she said 'that is you.'"
Wilson's Birmingham voice donor, Martin Brennan, said: "It's such an emotional journey and even sitting here, I'm welling up now.
"I just thought why not - it was a no brainer and it was a joy to get involved."
Fellow donor, Stephen Robotham, from Warwickshire, said: "Having a voice is so important and especially having your own voice, it's integral to your identity."
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