When Jan Christian was 17, her windpipe was crushed in a car accident. Because of the damage to her vocal cords, for years she couldn't speak.
A doctor at University Hospital in Cincinnati was recently able to repair her vocal cords.
Christian says the surgery helped her get her life back.
"I feel like I'm finding myself again. I feel like the inside is coming out, and I'm full of joy," she said.
Her recovery was also good news to her husband and kids who had never heard her speak.
She is now doing therapy to strengthen her voice.