An 89-year-old Hawaii man who lost his voice while grieving his wife of 68 years got it back thanks to a doctor's care, and he now calls it close to a miracle.

• The man, Arvind Patel, lost his voice right after losing his wife, making it even harder for him to grieve.
• Doctor Stephen Chow, an ear-nose-throat specialist, found that one of his vocal cords wasn't moving correctly.
• Instead of surgery under general anesthesia, Chow used a simple injection to shift the vocal cord into place so it could meet the other one, giving Patel a much stronger voice with less effort.
• Patel said the doctor's patience and clear explanations gave him hope and calls the outcome close to a miracle.

Outlook: Patel has regained his voice and is doing well, and the clinic says this injection approach is becoming a go-to option for similar vocal cord problems in older patients.