Several possible studies
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ALS Stole My Father’s Voice. Could We Bring It Back? - Newsweek (opens in a new tab)
ALS Stole My Father’s Voice. Could We Bring It Back? · 2018-03-30
Short answer
Several possible studiesNo confirmed study match.
Several papers could fit this story, but none could be confirmed as its source. The claims remain unverified.
These papers were considered as possible sources, but none could be confirmed as the study behind this story.
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The story
ALS Stole My Father’s Voice. Could We Bring It Back? - Newsweek
ALS Stole My Father’s Voice. Could We Bring It Back? · 2018-03-30
The story’s checkable claims.
Read the original story (opens in a new tab)NewsLink checks it
Several studies could be the source of this story.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Open claim evidenceSearch result
Several studies could fit.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Evidence layer
Claim by claim
What the story asserts. With no source study, there is nothing to check these against.
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Scan verdicts. Open evidence only when needed.
Claim 1 of 5Not checkedBefore his ALS diagnosis, the author's father began slurring and wanted to keep sounding like himself.View evidenceHide evidence
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NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 2 of 5Not checkedThe author looked into message banks, eye-tracking tools, assistive switches, brain-computer interfaces, and AI voice cloning in an attempt to help her father speak again.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 3 of 5Not checkedThe low-tech notebook-and-alphabet-chart method worked better than the bleeding-edge communication tools for everyday communication, but it still was not his voice.View evidenceHide evidence
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NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 4 of 5Not checkedAn AI voice clone made from imperfect recordings was initially highly flawed, but voice-swapped song clips eventually sounded like her father and gave the family a meaningful way to hear him again for a time.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedfor a couple of days / for a while
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NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 5 of 5Not checkedAs ALS progressed, the father's ability to use new communication tools and voice-swapping declined, and the voice-cloning platform later shut down.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedin his final months
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NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Method layer
No single source study was found.
The search results are available for you to inspect. Without a confirmed source study, they cannot establish whether the story’s claims are supported or contradicted.
Search results
Candidate papers, not confirmed sources.
PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 15 candidate papers
Brain-computer interfaces and neuroprostheses for severe speech impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2012) · 2026 · PubMed
SESSION 4B COMMUNICATION
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis · 2008 · Crossref
Brain–computer interfaces and neuroprostheses for severe speech impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2026 · Europe PMC
Exploring Voice Banking as an Alternative Augmentative Communication Strategy for Individuals with Dysphonia, Aphonia, and Dysarthria: A Scoping Review.
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of the Voice Foundation · 2025 · PubMed, Europe PMC
Phonation and Preservation of Communication in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Perspectives on Voice and Voice Disorders · 2005 · Crossref