Stuttering Reigns King at the Oscars

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (February 27, 2011) – Jane Fraser, president, The Stuttering Foundation (www.stutteringhelp.org), issued the following reaction to the Oscar awards:

“It is an eloquently golden night for people who stutter. The King’s Speech has been a godsend for the entire stuttering community.

“Tom Hooper gave us an inspirational hero, David Seidler gave us an impassioned voice, Helena Bonham Carter gave us a forceful yet supportive spouse, and Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush portrayed the perfect relationship between therapist and patient, an alliance built upon unbreakable trust, mutual respect and lifelong friendship.

“We salute tonight’s Oscar winners, including Best Movie The King’s Speech, Best Director Tom Hooper, Best Original Screenplay David Seidler, Best Leading Actor Colin Firth, and the entire cast and crew, for their courage, grace and humanity in making this film for audiences to appreciate.

“The real winners tonight, however, are people who stutter, especially those who require the courage of a King to cope with stuttering on a daily basis.”

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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 Association for Research into Stammering in Childhood, Michael Palin Centre, in London. Ms. Fraser is available for interviews by contacting Greg Wilson, 571-239-7474 or email: gregwilsonpr@gmail.com.

About the Foundation

Malcolm Fraser felt the same dread of speaking in public that King George VI experienced in the 1940s. Inspired by the plight of "Bertie," Fraser, a successful businessman and stutterer, went on to establish and endow the 64-year-old nonprofit Foundation in 1947. The Foundation provides a toll-free helpline, 800-992-9392, and free online resources on its Website,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. Please visit us at www.stutteringhelp.org.

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Martin, the basketball sensation who was named to the NBA’s All Star Team in 2004, joins other famous people who stutter in a new brochure. The brochure - which unfolds into a small poster - is available free of charge from The Stuttering Foundation.

The poster is intended to give children and adults who stutter inspiration as they grapple with their speech disorder.

Alan Rabinowitz

Alan Rabinowitz, Ph.D., who passed away in 2018, was an explorer, wildlife conservationist, and author. He established the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in northern Myanmar, which is about the size of the state of Vermont.

His love for animals began when he was very young.

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.

Bob Love

Bob Love has dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

In spite of his severe stuttering disability, Bob Love, the son of a sharecropper, rose to become a Chicago Bulls NBA superstar, whose records were eventually surpassed by Michael Jordan. Throughout his entire athletic career, Bob Love kept his stuttering a secret from the fans who adored him, thinking he could do his “talking” on the basketball court.

Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles, a former player for The Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, made history in 2007 when he became the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt for his first two NFL touchdowns in the same game. In 2021, he was selected to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.