Stuttering Spotlight- Tirth Patel
Happy Thursday!!
I’m excited to share Tirth Patel’s story with you all. Tirth is an extraordinary part of the Myspeech team, and an overall amazing person! Tirth is currently on his acceptance journey and he wanted to share his insights thus far:
My name is Tirth Patel, an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, where I am majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I am also a person who stutters (PWS). I was born in Unjha and raised in Mehsana. These cities are in Gujarat, a state in India known for its temple towns, historic capitals, and wildlife sanctuaries. I have been stuttering since my childhood. Growing up in India and spending 2 years in the United States, I never accepted that I stutter. I believe that I am so much more than my stutter, and this belief has turned me into a strong advocate for people who stutter. I serve as the Vice President of User Experience and Design at Myspeech, and I am also involved in Myspeech’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) team. At the University of Michigan Medical School, I am a member of Dr. Soo-Eun Chang’s Neurophysiology Lab, which investigates the cognitive aspects of PWSs. I have embarked on my journey of accepting my stutter and supporting other PWSs on the same road. As a part of this journey, I have founded Accept Stutter, a podcast where I invite PWSs to share their stories and experiences in the stuttering community. Accept Stutter is not just a podcast, it’s a platform focused on showcasing the stories of people who stutter; it’s a platform for scientists and experts doing groundbreaking research on stuttering; it’s a platform for individuals who are passionate about helping people who stutter. Above all that, Accept Stutter is a place for everyone. Outside the stuttering community, my passion lies in helping immigrants and refugees while they transition into the United States. If you do not find me studying or working, you will see me cycling, talking to my high school friends back in India, or hanging out with friends.
I am on my journey to accepting my stutter, and I think this endless journey entails hardships that I have to encounter down the line. However, I am strong enough to face these challenges because I believe in expressing my true self and telling the world what I am capable of. No doubt, my stuttering has brought the worst moments in life - shame, embarrassment, rejections, and failures. They have been countless. I have been through times when I prepared and practiced speeches, but I could not complete them due to my stutter. I still remember my time presenting my project at a summer 2022 research symposium. I was supposed to complete my presentation in 4 minutes. I started speaking, and everything was going well and smoothly. Unfortunately, I got a stuttering block due to which I failed to complete my presentation and failed to deliver the essence of my work. My professor said, “Good job, Tirth. You did great. It was just the time constraint that prevented you from completing your presentation.” His comment felt great and satisfying, but I was disappointed. I knew that it was my stutter that hindered my presentation, not the time pressure. I earned a below-average score in the communication aspect of my presentation. At that moment, although I hated myself, I ultimately accepted the score and the way I speak as I had no other choice. However, growing up in India, I never accepted that I stutter; instead, it was something that I thought would resolve with time and by speaking slowly. “Stop stuttering, speak slow and breathe when you speak” is the dialogue my parents and friends often say when I stutter.
I joined Myspeech and the stuttering community 2 months ago - I am very new in this community. Eventually, I learned about Myspeech and the National Stuttering Association (NSA) on LinkedIn. Researching further on the internet shocked me when I got to know that there are more than 70 million people across the world who stutter. In the United States, more than 3 million people stutter. I think what inspired me to join the stuttering community was the feeling of not being alone, which is rooted in a “wow” moment that I experienced when I came across the stuttering population and organizations in the world to support PWSs. Typing “stutter” on google will open up a great amount of information and resources on stuttering - this is amazing.
For me, advocacy in stuttering means creating an environment where every PWS feels welcomed and not judged, and their stutter is not considered a source of jokes or mockery. Every initiative, ranging from podcasts like Accept Stutter and Proud Stutter to nonprofits like Myspeech, plays a substantial role in establishing this environment. People who support NSA, Myspeech, Proud Stutter podcast, The Stuttering Foundation, etc have demonstrated great advocacy in stuttering, and hence, they are popular figures in the stuttering community.
My experience, so far, while serving as a leader in Myspeech has made me a stronger version of who I was 2 months ago. This new Tirth is an extrovert and open about his stutter; he is no longer shy and a coward. Despite my stuttering, I am grateful to have a supporting family and a strong network of friends who love the true me. These people do not mind when I stutter, and I enjoy my time with them. If there is any advice I would give to the younger version of me and other PWSs, you are so much more than your stutter; you are brave, smart, intelligent, and hardworking, and therefore, there are various opportunities in the world for you to explore.
Below are Tirth’s socials if you’d like to get in touch with him or check out his podcast:
