It was a wonderful day for stutterers all over the world this past Wednesday (2/10/2010) when researchers from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders led by Dr. Dennis Drayna published their research paper in the New England Journal Of Medicine that 9% of people who stutters is a result of a mutation in a gene called the GNPTAB gene along with two other genes.
The study involved 123 Pakistanians who stutters; 46 of the stutterers were from the original family, 77 were other unrelated Pakistanians stutterers and 96 were Pakistanians who did not stutter. Stutterers from the United States and England were also involved: 270 who stutter and 276 who did not stutter.
If you remember from general biology class that genes express themselves in the form of proteins (examples: enzymes, hormones, antibodies). Information from the DNA (which make up the genes) flows to the RNA (another nucleic acid; specifically messenger (m) RNA) then to the ribosomes (the protein "factory,") where proteins (like enzymes) are made.
Dr. Drayna and his team found that there was a mutation in the GNPTAB gene that is responsible for the production of an enzyme that helps to break down and recycle cellular waste products in a cell compartment (organelle) called the LYSOSOME (traditionally called the "suicide sac" of the cell). This mutation can result in waste products accumulating in the cell causing problems in the various systems of the body: circulatory system (heart), digestive system (liver), skeletal system and the speech system (neural circuitary) is affected as well. The GNPTAB gene, the GNPTG gene and NAGPA genes are also linked to other metabolic disorders called Mucolipidosis (MLI and MLII). Most stutteres are not affected with this disorder because it involves a recessive gene according to Dr. Drayna and in order for a recessive gene to express itself there must be two copies of the gene. The stutterers in the study still express the protein (enzyme) that is involved in the recycling of the cellular waste but the protein is "not made exactly right."
This is good news because now we know what genes cause (a percentage of stuttering) we can now hope for gene therapy to manufacter the appropriate enzymes to possible treat stuttering (at least the 9% that is a result of this mutation); there is light at the end of the tunnel after hundreds of years in which the cause(s) of stuttering remained a mystery!
Here is the link that summarize the findings.
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2010/nidcd-10.htm
Here is a video of Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN discussing the impact of this study. Dr. Dennis Drayna is also featured in the video along with Michael Liben (who appeared in the video "Transcending Stuttering."). Also, check my post out on "Transcending Stuttering."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4qhELtF6lM
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. Thank you.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
PAGOCLONE AND STUTTERING
I had mentioned in previous post that clinical trial involving pagoclone, which potentially could be the first drug approve by the FDA for the treatment of stuttering is currently taking place. Pagoclone was initially developed by the pharmaceutical company Indevus. Pagoclone is a nonbenzodiazapine class of drug that works similarly to benzodiazapine (such as diazepam aka valium, xanax aka alprazolam , lorazapam aka ativan) that is on a receptor called GABA(a). Pagoclone binds to the GABA(a) subunit 2alpha and 3alpha and bypasses the 1alpha subunit which is responsible for the sedative and anmestic effect of benzodiazapines. GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is a brain neurotransmitter receptor that brings a calming effect when stimulated (thus reducing anxiety). It should be noted that the exact mechanism of pagaclone is not known.
Research have confirmed that people who stutter have excess dopamine in the brain and it is this excess dopamine that interferes with the circuitry of the basal ganglia (brain components consisting of substantia nigra in the midbrain, the subthalamic nucleus, the striatum specifically caudate and putnum) that is responsible for movement initiation which also involve speaking (a motor phenomena as well). Pagoclone also help to reduce levels of dopamine (exact mechanism not known) and thus decrease stuttering.
As I have stated in my previous post that Dr. Gerald Maguire from the University California at Irvine (UCI) is one of the leading experts on stuttering and is one of the main investigators in the pagoclone research. Dr. Maguire also opened up the first biological stuttering clinic in the USA on UCI campus to treat people who stutter by using different types of antidopaminergic drugs such as abilify, geodon, and zyprexa. I was invited to the UCI campus by Dr. Maguire in my 4th year of medical school 10/2007 and I got to see the remarkable improvement of fluency that these drugs were making in many people who stutter. Some of the side effects of these drugs can be weight gain, sedation, diabetes (in some cases) and so proper follow up is needed.
I decided to talk about this topic today because I recently saw that Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN did a story of Dr. Maguire and the pagoclone research. The link to the video is below watch it and leave your comment(s).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxGtzkjvfUA
Research have confirmed that people who stutter have excess dopamine in the brain and it is this excess dopamine that interferes with the circuitry of the basal ganglia (brain components consisting of substantia nigra in the midbrain, the subthalamic nucleus, the striatum specifically caudate and putnum) that is responsible for movement initiation which also involve speaking (a motor phenomena as well). Pagoclone also help to reduce levels of dopamine (exact mechanism not known) and thus decrease stuttering.
As I have stated in my previous post that Dr. Gerald Maguire from the University California at Irvine (UCI) is one of the leading experts on stuttering and is one of the main investigators in the pagoclone research. Dr. Maguire also opened up the first biological stuttering clinic in the USA on UCI campus to treat people who stutter by using different types of antidopaminergic drugs such as abilify, geodon, and zyprexa. I was invited to the UCI campus by Dr. Maguire in my 4th year of medical school 10/2007 and I got to see the remarkable improvement of fluency that these drugs were making in many people who stutter. Some of the side effects of these drugs can be weight gain, sedation, diabetes (in some cases) and so proper follow up is needed.
I decided to talk about this topic today because I recently saw that Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN did a story of Dr. Maguire and the pagoclone research. The link to the video is below watch it and leave your comment(s).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxGtzkjvfUA
Monday, January 11, 2010
What Its Like To Be A Physician Who Stutters
I remember hearing about Luke the physician in Sunday school as a kid and this story motivated my desire to become a physician. In addition, as a result of growing up in Jamaica I experienced many relatives and friends who were sick (some died) and I have always dream of becoming a physician to help family, friends and suffering humanity. I have always had a stutter and also dream of finding a cure for it someday.
My stutter began at around the age of 3 but I personally did not noticed it much until around 3rd or 4th grade when kids would start to teased me about my stuttering. My mother, like so many other stutterers whose mother encouraged them and empowered them with the confidence they need to over come stuttering as an obstacle did the same for me. I grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica until I migrated to the USA at the age of 14. I remembered while living in May Pen, Clarendon and attending May Pen Primary School that I would at times go on school trips which was suppose to be a lot of fun for the kids. I would at times get a little nervous about going on some of these long trips (usually to another Parish (state)) and my mother would accompany me and this did a great deal to ease my fear about stuttering. When I stutter she would tell me to slow down and that eventually I would "grow out of the stammering." When I felt a little sad about the fact that I was the only one who stutter she would take me to Kentucky Fry Chicken, or to shop for some clothing in an effort to cheer me up. My father would also encouraged me as well and I cherished the loved that my parents comforted me with so that I could build confidence.
I got teased, mocked and laughed at because of my stutter in Primary school. Sometimes I would fight to stand up for myself, and I was a pretty good fighter as well; in retrospect, I probably should not have engaged in fights because fighting usually only got you in more trouble and it is always better to leave or take the conflict to the authorities.
Stuttering is resolved in about 80% of kids by the time they reach age 16 and about 20% of the remaining kids who failed to recover goes on to become adult stutterers (including yours truly)!
And so I have been trying to fight a war against stuttering every since. Sometimes I lost some of the battles but I think I have been victorious in many of these stuttering "wars."
It becomes a war when you drive through the drive through window to order a chicken sandwich and you can't say chicken quick enough and the cashier at the drive through window say, "Are you still there?" while drivers behind you are waiting to placed their orders and you just say to your self what the heck and just drive off without placing the order because you cannot say chicken and you are embarrassed!
It becomes a war when you are introducing yourself in the first day of class and you cannot even say who you are for a long time because you are experiencing a long stuttering blocks (pauses in speech)
It becomes a war when you hate to hear the telephone rings because you know that you have to answer it and most stutterers hate to answer the telephone because it exacerbates the stuttering even more!
It becomes a war when you try to avoid people, places and events because of the interactions that would forced you to speak. Eventually, you learn to put a guard up to protect whatever left of your self esteem and switch to "self preservation." Now we know that running away does not solved your problem and avoidance (which is a secondary behavior) of stuttering feeds into encouraging the fear of stuttering and so it becomes a vicious cycle.
It becomes a war when virtually most physicians are ignorant about the nature of stuttering because they were not taught about it in medical school; consequently, when you are training to become a doctor and doing your clinical rotations in your 3rd and 4th year of medical school you have to educate the medical team on stuttering (including Attending, Senior and Junior Residents) because they sometimes react unfavorable to the stutter!
It becomes a war when you are the only one who stutters at your medical residency (intern year) and it became quite apparent that there are prejudices by some against the stuttering because of not being educated about stuttering. This empowers and motivate you even more to become one of the soldiers in the war on stuttering and to find a cure for it.
Please leave your comments on thoughts. Thank you.
My stutter began at around the age of 3 but I personally did not noticed it much until around 3rd or 4th grade when kids would start to teased me about my stuttering. My mother, like so many other stutterers whose mother encouraged them and empowered them with the confidence they need to over come stuttering as an obstacle did the same for me. I grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica until I migrated to the USA at the age of 14. I remembered while living in May Pen, Clarendon and attending May Pen Primary School that I would at times go on school trips which was suppose to be a lot of fun for the kids. I would at times get a little nervous about going on some of these long trips (usually to another Parish (state)) and my mother would accompany me and this did a great deal to ease my fear about stuttering. When I stutter she would tell me to slow down and that eventually I would "grow out of the stammering." When I felt a little sad about the fact that I was the only one who stutter she would take me to Kentucky Fry Chicken, or to shop for some clothing in an effort to cheer me up. My father would also encouraged me as well and I cherished the loved that my parents comforted me with so that I could build confidence.
I got teased, mocked and laughed at because of my stutter in Primary school. Sometimes I would fight to stand up for myself, and I was a pretty good fighter as well; in retrospect, I probably should not have engaged in fights because fighting usually only got you in more trouble and it is always better to leave or take the conflict to the authorities.
Stuttering is resolved in about 80% of kids by the time they reach age 16 and about 20% of the remaining kids who failed to recover goes on to become adult stutterers (including yours truly)!
And so I have been trying to fight a war against stuttering every since. Sometimes I lost some of the battles but I think I have been victorious in many of these stuttering "wars."
It becomes a war when you drive through the drive through window to order a chicken sandwich and you can't say chicken quick enough and the cashier at the drive through window say, "Are you still there?" while drivers behind you are waiting to placed their orders and you just say to your self what the heck and just drive off without placing the order because you cannot say chicken and you are embarrassed!
It becomes a war when you are introducing yourself in the first day of class and you cannot even say who you are for a long time because you are experiencing a long stuttering blocks (pauses in speech)
It becomes a war when you hate to hear the telephone rings because you know that you have to answer it and most stutterers hate to answer the telephone because it exacerbates the stuttering even more!
It becomes a war when you try to avoid people, places and events because of the interactions that would forced you to speak. Eventually, you learn to put a guard up to protect whatever left of your self esteem and switch to "self preservation." Now we know that running away does not solved your problem and avoidance (which is a secondary behavior) of stuttering feeds into encouraging the fear of stuttering and so it becomes a vicious cycle.
It becomes a war when virtually most physicians are ignorant about the nature of stuttering because they were not taught about it in medical school; consequently, when you are training to become a doctor and doing your clinical rotations in your 3rd and 4th year of medical school you have to educate the medical team on stuttering (including Attending, Senior and Junior Residents) because they sometimes react unfavorable to the stutter!
It becomes a war when you are the only one who stutters at your medical residency (intern year) and it became quite apparent that there are prejudices by some against the stuttering because of not being educated about stuttering. This empowers and motivate you even more to become one of the soldiers in the war on stuttering and to find a cure for it.
Please leave your comments on thoughts. Thank you.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
JACK WELCH, THE STUTTERER WHO BECAME THE HEAD OF GENERAL ELECTRICS
Time and time again we see the impact that stutterers have made on the human experience from science (Isaac Newtown, Robert Boyle ), medicine (Dr. Gerald Maguire) politics (Vice President Joseph Biden, King George VI, Winston Churchill), literature (John Updike, Lewis Carroll), journalism (Byron Pitts, John Stossell), sports and entertainment (Ellis Lankster, Ron Hopper, Kenyon Martin, Bo Jackson), business (Arthur Blank, Jack Welch) etc.
Today I will focus on Jack Welch the former CEO and chairman of General Electrics. Jack Welch have attributed the development of his strong confidence to his mother (we saw a similar story with Vice President Joseph Biden and his mother Jean Biden in my last blog). As a kid growing up Jack Welch recalled being teased and ridiculed because of his stutter. It was during these difficult and lonely times that his mother encouraged and motivated her son to stand tall.
Jack Welch recalled in an article in Capitalism Magazine (February 28, 2002) that: My mother never managed people, but she knew all about building self-esteem. I grew up with a speech impediment, a stammer that wouldn't go away. Sometimes it led to comical, if not embarrassing, incidents. In college, I often ordered a tuna fish on white toast on Fridays when Catholics in those days couldn't eat meat. Inevitably, the waitress would return with not one but a pair of sandwiches, having heard my order as "tu-tuna sandwiches."
My mother served up the perfect excuse for my stuttering. "It's because you're so smart," she would tell me. "No one's tongue could keep up with a brain like yours." For years, in fact, I never worried about my stammer. I believed what she told me: that my mind worked faster than my mouth.
Jack Welched continued: I didn't understand for many years just how much confidence she poured into me. Decades later, when looking at early pictures of me on my sports teams, I was amazed to see that almost always I was the shortest and smallest kid in the picture. In grade school, where I played guard on the basketball squad, I was almost three-quarters the size of several of the other players.
Yet I never knew it or felt it. Today, I look at those pictures and laugh at what a little shrimp I was. It's just ridiculous that I wasn't more conscious of my size. That tells you what a mother can do for you. She gave me that much confidence. She convinced me that I could be anyone I wanted to be. It was really up to me. "You just have to go for it," she would say. Jack Welch obtained his Masters and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1960. Fortune Magazine in 1999 named Jack Welch "Manager of the Century." Jack Welch turned GE into a multi billion dollar company by the time he retired in 2001. Jack Welch did not allow stuttering to hold him captive. Armed with his mother's support in empowering him with confidence despite of his stuttering he became one of the most successful CEO's in modern history.
Please leave your comments and thoughts about this story. Thank you.
Below is a video with Jack Welch counseling young people on mentoring. Click on the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ipNo1BLeIk&feature=related
Today I will focus on Jack Welch the former CEO and chairman of General Electrics. Jack Welch have attributed the development of his strong confidence to his mother (we saw a similar story with Vice President Joseph Biden and his mother Jean Biden in my last blog). As a kid growing up Jack Welch recalled being teased and ridiculed because of his stutter. It was during these difficult and lonely times that his mother encouraged and motivated her son to stand tall.
Jack Welch recalled in an article in Capitalism Magazine (February 28, 2002) that: My mother never managed people, but she knew all about building self-esteem. I grew up with a speech impediment, a stammer that wouldn't go away. Sometimes it led to comical, if not embarrassing, incidents. In college, I often ordered a tuna fish on white toast on Fridays when Catholics in those days couldn't eat meat. Inevitably, the waitress would return with not one but a pair of sandwiches, having heard my order as "tu-tuna sandwiches."
My mother served up the perfect excuse for my stuttering. "It's because you're so smart," she would tell me. "No one's tongue could keep up with a brain like yours." For years, in fact, I never worried about my stammer. I believed what she told me: that my mind worked faster than my mouth.
Jack Welched continued: I didn't understand for many years just how much confidence she poured into me. Decades later, when looking at early pictures of me on my sports teams, I was amazed to see that almost always I was the shortest and smallest kid in the picture. In grade school, where I played guard on the basketball squad, I was almost three-quarters the size of several of the other players.
Yet I never knew it or felt it. Today, I look at those pictures and laugh at what a little shrimp I was. It's just ridiculous that I wasn't more conscious of my size. That tells you what a mother can do for you. She gave me that much confidence. She convinced me that I could be anyone I wanted to be. It was really up to me. "You just have to go for it," she would say. Jack Welch obtained his Masters and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1960. Fortune Magazine in 1999 named Jack Welch "Manager of the Century." Jack Welch turned GE into a multi billion dollar company by the time he retired in 2001. Jack Welch did not allow stuttering to hold him captive. Armed with his mother's support in empowering him with confidence despite of his stuttering he became one of the most successful CEO's in modern history.
Please leave your comments and thoughts about this story. Thank you.
Below is a video with Jack Welch counseling young people on mentoring. Click on the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ipNo1BLeIk&feature=related
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Jean Biden, How A Mother Encouraged Her Son Who Stutter
Vice President Joseph Biden had a severe stutter as a child and he talked about how this stuttering was one of the defining moments of his life; I heard him speak at a stuttering convention once (listened to the video). As a child he was laughed at, teased with degrading nick names because of his stutter. According to the USA Today when Vice President Biden was in seventh grade (at a Catholic School) he walked out of his classroom, after a nun teased him for failing to read a paragraph clearly because of his stutter, he was ashamed.
Jean Biden (his mom) met her son "Joe" as he sadly returned home and told his mother what happened at school ; Jean Biden drove her son "Joe" back to school and confronted the teacher. Joseph Biden recalled in his autobiography ("Promises to Keep") "I could see my mother pull herself up to her full height, 5 foot 1...my mother, who was so timid, so respectful of the church, stood up, walked over in front of the nun and said, 'If you ever speak to my son like that again, I'll come back and rip that bonnet off your head.' " Jean Biden then ordered her son back to class.
Jean Biden died yesterday at the age of 92 and I was just thinking about the important role that a mother often plays in the life of her kids, especially when those kids developed special challenges such as stuttering or other speech impediments, Tourettes, Down Syndrome, Eczema, hearing impairment, or any other challenges. It is often a mother's love, affection, nurture and sincerity that helped to mold that child with the self confidence that he or she needs to overcome whatever challenges that may come because of the "cards that life dealt them."
Regardless of his politics whether you are republican, democrat, libertarian, independent I think it is fair to say that Vice President Joseph Biden is a man that displayed "Courage Under Fire," time and time again in his personal life: When he had to accepted the responsibility of being a single parent secondary to his first wife being killed in a car crash with his daughter; his sons were injured as well and just overcoming the challenges that stuttering often presents as a child: shame, embarrassment, avoidance and isolation , fear, stress, and anxiety. His story is truly a remarkable experience of how he became a United States Senator and Vice President of the United States after a "war" well fought with stuttering as a child.
What role did your mother played in your life because of the challenges that confronted you? Please leave a comment. Thank you.
Also, here is the linked below in which the Vice President pays tribute to his mother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8JuHsJD0MI
Jean Biden (his mom) met her son "Joe" as he sadly returned home and told his mother what happened at school ; Jean Biden drove her son "Joe" back to school and confronted the teacher. Joseph Biden recalled in his autobiography ("Promises to Keep") "I could see my mother pull herself up to her full height, 5 foot 1...my mother, who was so timid, so respectful of the church, stood up, walked over in front of the nun and said, 'If you ever speak to my son like that again, I'll come back and rip that bonnet off your head.' " Jean Biden then ordered her son back to class.
Jean Biden died yesterday at the age of 92 and I was just thinking about the important role that a mother often plays in the life of her kids, especially when those kids developed special challenges such as stuttering or other speech impediments, Tourettes, Down Syndrome, Eczema, hearing impairment, or any other challenges. It is often a mother's love, affection, nurture and sincerity that helped to mold that child with the self confidence that he or she needs to overcome whatever challenges that may come because of the "cards that life dealt them."
Regardless of his politics whether you are republican, democrat, libertarian, independent I think it is fair to say that Vice President Joseph Biden is a man that displayed "Courage Under Fire," time and time again in his personal life: When he had to accepted the responsibility of being a single parent secondary to his first wife being killed in a car crash with his daughter; his sons were injured as well and just overcoming the challenges that stuttering often presents as a child: shame, embarrassment, avoidance and isolation , fear, stress, and anxiety. His story is truly a remarkable experience of how he became a United States Senator and Vice President of the United States after a "war" well fought with stuttering as a child.
What role did your mother played in your life because of the challenges that confronted you? Please leave a comment. Thank you.
Also, here is the linked below in which the Vice President pays tribute to his mother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8JuHsJD0MI
Friday, January 8, 2010
My Cousin Vinny, Stuttering Attorney
The way how stuttering has been portrayed by the general public at large is often secondary to the way how various elements of the media (Hollywood, TV, Theater etc.) has presented it to the public. Often times movies portray the person who stutters as a character to be laughed at, with sub par intelligence. As I have stated previously (on several posts) this could be no further from the truth as stutterers have made great contribution to the human experience in the scientific world (Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle), medicine (Dr. Gerald Maguire), politics (Vice President Joseph Biden, Sir Winston Churchill), business (Jack Welch, Arthur Blank), literature ( John Updike, Lewis Carroll), journalism (Byron Pitts, John Stossell, sports and entertainment (Ellis Lankster, Ron Hopper, Kenyon Martin, ) just to name a few (review my post on "Famous Stutterers").
I was reviewing a scene from the movie "My Cousin Vinny" where one of the defense lawyers portrays the character of a stutterer; when he approached the witness to cross examined him just about everyone in the courtroom was shocked at the lawyer's speech impediment. The attorney did not warned the audience that he was a stutterer and his stuttering through the court off guard: examined the reaction of the members of the jury as the attorney cross examined the witness--eyes wide opened, mouths literally wide opened, some jury members looked afraid, some jury members looked in disdained. It was not easy for the attorney himself as he engaged in some primary behaviors of stuttering such as repetition of words, prolongation of sounds; I did not noticed however, any silent block or hesitations. Even the attorney's client was surprised by his lawyer's stuttering and the lawyer replied well I was a little nervous.
I think the director in "My Cousin Vinny," portrayed the stutterer better than how most movies portray stuttering and I think the scene is well worth watching to evaluate some of the above characteristics of stuttering. It is my opinion that if the stutterer warns or informed the audience of his stuttering then most people would be sympathetic towards the stutterer and the reaction like this lawyer got in the court room would have been minimized! Informing the audience would have reduced the fear and anxiety associated with the increase of stuttering (although fear and anxiety do not cause stuttering).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWtTUrJQehw
Please click on the link and watch the video and leave your comment. Thank you.
I was reviewing a scene from the movie "My Cousin Vinny" where one of the defense lawyers portrays the character of a stutterer; when he approached the witness to cross examined him just about everyone in the courtroom was shocked at the lawyer's speech impediment. The attorney did not warned the audience that he was a stutterer and his stuttering through the court off guard: examined the reaction of the members of the jury as the attorney cross examined the witness--eyes wide opened, mouths literally wide opened, some jury members looked afraid, some jury members looked in disdained. It was not easy for the attorney himself as he engaged in some primary behaviors of stuttering such as repetition of words, prolongation of sounds; I did not noticed however, any silent block or hesitations. Even the attorney's client was surprised by his lawyer's stuttering and the lawyer replied well I was a little nervous.
I think the director in "My Cousin Vinny," portrayed the stutterer better than how most movies portray stuttering and I think the scene is well worth watching to evaluate some of the above characteristics of stuttering. It is my opinion that if the stutterer warns or informed the audience of his stuttering then most people would be sympathetic towards the stutterer and the reaction like this lawyer got in the court room would have been minimized! Informing the audience would have reduced the fear and anxiety associated with the increase of stuttering (although fear and anxiety do not cause stuttering).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWtTUrJQehw
Please click on the link and watch the video and leave your comment. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Ellis Lankster Showed Courage Under Fire
I first came across the NFL player Ellis Lankster (CB for the Buffalo Bills) when I was on youtube doing research for my stuttering blog. At the time that I came across Ellis he was being interviewed at a press conference after a football game. After a few seconds of hearing him speak, as a person who stutters I picked up immediately that he was also a person who stutters. Eventually, most viewers within the general public also picked up on his speech impediment (stutter). I automatically empathized with Ellis as I watched him repeated whole phrases and words, as his typical of most people who stutter (although some stutterers display sound prolongation, blocking or long pauses). He could have just ended the press conference and say this is just too difficult, and I am not going to put myself through this torture and embarrassment; Ellis did not run away from his stuttering phobia. Instead he "grabbed the bull by the horn," "took the arrows as they flew towards him," "won one for the Gipper (us stutterers)," "he didn't duck;" Ellis on that video was like David who slew Goliath. Ellis display what is known as "Courage under fire."
Many viewers on the internet ridiculed Ellis Lankster for his speech impediment they called him "dumb," they called him "stupid," and other demeaning adjectives were used. Unfortunately, there are lots of folks within the general public who are still ignorant about the nature of stuttering and that is why I am so motivated to tell the story of stuttering.
Please take a few minutes to listen to the video where Ellis Lankster displayed his COURAGE UNDER FIRE. Please leave a comment. Thank you.
http://www.jokeroo.com/video/funny/stuttering-nfl-interview.html
Many viewers on the internet ridiculed Ellis Lankster for his speech impediment they called him "dumb," they called him "stupid," and other demeaning adjectives were used. Unfortunately, there are lots of folks within the general public who are still ignorant about the nature of stuttering and that is why I am so motivated to tell the story of stuttering.
Please take a few minutes to listen to the video where Ellis Lankster displayed his COURAGE UNDER FIRE. Please leave a comment. Thank you.
http://www.jokeroo.com/video/funny/stuttering-nfl-interview.html
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