I don't 'suffer' from a stammer, I rock my stammer!

22nd October 2020

Last month we shared a poem from Sam, which made him something of a celebrity. But when he saw one headline describe him as a sufferer, Sam and his mum Victoria decided to do something about it. Victoria tells us more.

Last month Sam and I wrote a poem called 'I have a stammer' to educate people about stammering and to help others who have a stammer. We were blown away by the response when Stamma published it and shared it on social media! We had hundreds of kind comments from parents and others saying it had helped them to better understand stammering.

It even got media interest and Sam appeared in four local newspapers. However, one of the newspapers used the headline 'Stammer sufferer Sam puts feelings into verse'. When he saw it, Sam was not impressed with the choice of words and instantly stated "I don't suffer from a stammer, I'm not suffering".

Sam is very passionate about changing people's views and attitudes on stammering, to tell people that you can stammer and be confident. People with a stammer don't always suffer. And it's OK to stammer.

So we decided to write another poem to help educate people about the impact of negative words used around stammering, called 'Dear World', which you can read below. Since then, Sam has been awarded a Blue Peter badge and even appeared on CBBC's Newsround, raising awareness of stammering. (Watch Sam's appearance on Newsround here.)

Sam is very passionate about changing people's views and attitudes on stammering, to tell people that you can stammer and be confident. People with a stammer don't always suffer. And it's OK to stammer.

Sam's new phrase is... I don't suffer from a stammer, I rock my stammer!

Dear World

I want the world to know
I don't 'suffer' from a stammer
Your negative words hit hard
Like someone with a hammer

Comments sometimes negative
You use words like weak and bad
I'll let you into a secret
Your comments make me mad

We celebrate our differences
Be yourself and I'll be me
If everyone was the same
A boring place this world would be

There are so many positives
And useful words to use
The unkind words and negatives
We must all learn to lose

We’re courageous, we're strong
We're important and we're brave
By using positive words
A brighter future we will pave

I know I rock my stammer
That's how I'd describe me
It's nothing to be ashamed of
And I want you all to see

I would never want to change
The person that I am
If I didn't have a stammer
Then I certainly wouldn't be Sam

You cannot fix a stammer
Bumps and pauses you will hear
I'll just use some more skills
To help me sound more clear

Let's all be more positive 
And change our point of view
These things will only happen
If I have the help from you

Your job is not to judge
And make sure you do not shame
God made us all so different
And none of us are the same

Everyone made so special
All individual and unique
My superpower being
The special way that I speak!

Watch Sam read out his poem below.