Aníbal Martín, a long-time aeronautics engineer and programming teacher near Madrid, can now preserve a digital version of his own voice thanks to ElevenLabs’ voice restoration technology. This service is offered in Spain through the patient association adELA, as part of a partnership that constitutes the first Spanish initiative of the ElevenLabs Impact program.
During a summer vacation, Aníbal Martín began experiencing difficulties with his leg. He was eventually diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. While Martín can still speak, his voice is beginning to deteriorate, a change he noticed by listening to recordings of his classes and the audio messages he sends to his students. He started to no longer recognize himself. Yet, he wants to continue teaching.
Restoring the voice from recordings
After his diagnosis, Aníbal Martín was supported by a psychologist, a physiotherapist, and a speech therapist. With them, he worked on rebuilding his voice from recordings, which he describes as “a light at the end of the tunnel.” Thanks to ElevenLabs, he created a digital version of his voice, so he can pass on his knowledge, should he ever lose the ability to speak, with a voice that remains, in his words, “undeniably his own.”
Eligible individuals have two methods. If their speech hasn’t changed much, they can record new samples. Otherwise, they can import old recordings onto the platform. In both cases, they can continue speaking with their family, friends, and caregivers with a voice that resembles theirs.
“Being able to hear my own voice means being able to remain myself,” states Aníbal Martín. For him, the voice is not just for communication: it is part of his identity as a teacher, father, and friend, and allows him to continue sharing his knowledge and contributing to society.
An association serving patients
Aníbal Martín discovered ElevenLabs through adELA (Asociación Española de Esclerosis Lateral Amiotrófica), the main Spanish association dedicated to ALS. Its mission is to provide free access to voice restoration and preservation technology to people with ALS across Spain. Spain is, in fact, the first country where this technology is available through a national patient association.
Estimates suggest between 4,000 and 4,500 people live with ALS in Spain, and for many of them, the disease will lead to the loss of speech. Gabi Leibowitz, Head of Impact at ElevenLabs, emphasizes: “The voice is deeply tied to identity, to how we connect with others and contribute to the world. For people experiencing permanent voice loss, we have seen that voice restoration can help preserve dignity, autonomy, and the ability to continue participating in family, professional, and social life.”
For over 30 years, adELA has been supporting people with ALS and their families, offering specialized care, psychological support, and social assistance. The association also advocates for greater awareness of the disease and more research. Aníbal Martín has been a volunteer there since 2020 and, over the past year, he has worked with them to help their patients preserve their voices before losing them. “Identity is largely conveyed through the voice,” he asserts. “When someone hears your voice, they look at you.” People with ALS in Spain can apply for access to this service through adELA.
