My stammer is me

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Two men stood smiling outside the conference venue

A woman smiling with arms raised outside the conference venue

A group of young adults laughing outside the conference venue

Two women and a man smiling and holding a Making Waves stammering pride flag outside

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Two women smiling and talking inside the conference venue

Sunday 14th July 2019

My Story

Sir Michael Palin posing with a man and both are smiling at pointing at each other

Michael with Sir Michael Palin, who took part in the documentary

As part of his college TV and Film course, Michael Derrig-Adams decided to create a film to raise awareness of stammering. In 'My Stammer Is Me', a 30-minute documentary which you can watch below, Michael speaks openly about stammering. Here he explains why he made it and how he persuaded a famous face to take part.

I was motivated to raise awareness with this documentary because I felt as though people do not understand the difficulties that come with a stammer. I wanted to use real people and real situations to show the effects of a stammer.

It took me a long time to plan it out, as I wanted to make sure it was sincere, genuine and above all, understandable.

Michael Palin was fantastic. I know he's invested a lot of time in Action for Stammering Children and has a whole centre named after him, which I myself attended, due to his dad having a stammer. In the film he helped me to show what a stammer is; how people can help others who stammer; and the help that is available for someone who stammers.

Overall I really made it to change people’s perceptions of stammering and I feel as though I have done this.

Have a watch, I hope you enjoy it!