Foundation Salutes Press for Focus on Stuttering

For Immediate Release

Greg Wilson

571-239-7474

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Oct. 22, 2015) - The Stuttering Foundation, www.StutteringHelp.org, announced the winners of its 2015 Awards for Excellence in Journalism today in celebration of International Stuttering Awareness Day.

"Journalists are an important part of our effort to spread the word about stuttering," said Jane Fraser, president of the nonprofit Foundation. "This year, we are honoring a number of outstanding writers whose work has a lasting impact on the stuttering community."

The 2015 awardees are:

Podcast/Streaming Video

First Place: Amy Matthews of Forces.TV for her report, My War with Words.

Second Place: Peter Reitzes of StutterTalk.com for his podcast, Many in the Stuttering and SLP Communities Speak Out Against Australian Funding Proposal for "One Size Fits All" Treatment.

Newspapers/Magazines

First Place: Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press for his column, Donavon Clark's Story of Stutter Heard Loud and Clear.

Second Place: Allie Freedman of the Baltimore Jewish Times for the article, Beyond the Stutter.

Third Place: Leslie Ruse of the Daily Record for the article titled,Morristown Woman Helps Kids Find Their Words.

Internet Blog/Website/E-publications

First Place: Issac Bailey of MyrtleBeachOnline.com for his blog titled A Black Man and A White Boy, Bound by Speaking Disorder

Second Place: Amy Wang of OregonLive.com for her article titled When Your Toddler Stutters: What to Know, When to Worry

Third Place: Dom Cosentino of NJ.com for his column, Jets Cornerback Ellis Langster Opens Up About His Stuttering

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Foundation Spokesperson Jane Fraser

Jane Fraser is president of The Stuttering Foundation and co-author of If Your Child Stutters: A Guide for Parents, 8th edition. She is also vice president of the Action for Stammering Children, Michael Palin Centre in London.

About the Foundation

Malcolm Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, established and endowed the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947. The Stuttering Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources at www.StutteringHelp.org, including services, referrals and support to people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering.

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

John Stossel

John Stossel is one of the most recognized and articulate reporters today. However, he once considered giving up his broadcasting career because of his stuttering.

“Fear of stuttering can easily become worse than the stuttering itself,” observed Stossel. “The idea that I’m on television and making speeches is still a shock to me sometimes.”

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.

Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis, born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, was an influential figure in country music, both as a songwriter and a performer. His journey to fame was marked by overcoming personal challenges, including a stutter that he turned into a defining part of his public persona.

Bill Withers

While Bill Withers has long been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter, many people probably didn’t realize he stuttered. He passed away on March 30, 2020.

Born in 1938 in Slab Fork, W.V., Withers was the youngest of six children. When his father died when Withers was small, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom worked as domestics.

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.