The Moth Women Up: The Moth Podcast
Mar 6, 2026
Tess Birch, a corporate lawyer and stand-up comic who leads Girl Guides, tells a funny chaotic zoo story about a missing child and unexpected lemur trouble. Alison Stewart, a WNYC host and radio contributor, shares her ordeal of sudden speech loss, awake brain surgery, and the slow, surprising path to relearning language.
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Sudden Aphasia And A Brain Mass Diagnosis
- Alison Stewart woke up losing words and discovered a brain mass that affected her speech and cognition during a February 2024 work week.
- She rode the subway to the ER, was diagnosed, transferred for neurosurgery, and spent five weeks relearning to walk and talk.
Finding Humanity In Your Surgeon
- Alison Stewart found human moments amid crisis, noting her neurosurgeon was kind, smart, and attractively nicknamed by friends.
- She learned personal details about him (Brooklyn roots, immigrant single mom, punk band past) while undergoing tests and prep.
Speech Center Tumor Changed Surgical Plan
- The tumor sat on Alison Stewart's speech center, directly threatening her livelihood as a radio host.
- Doctors planned awake brain surgery so surgeons could monitor speech, showing how profession-specific brain areas guide surgical approach.