Opening about one’s stutter can be difficult; whether for someone who stutters or for their loved ones, who support them throughout the journey. Nevertheless, today with our initiative ‘Share Your Story,’ we are giving you the power and platform to have your story heard!

Here comes a story of a young woman who, in her early twenties, developed a stutter unexpectedly. This is the story of Hajar!

Read Hajar’s story in her own words.

Last year shortly after I turned 21, I developed a sudden stutter, it literally began one day (strange I know )and I brushed it off thinking I was just stumbling over my words but it never went away, my doctor couldn’t believe it and my local hospital was so concerned that I had a sudden a stroke as I’ve never stuttered before.

After many tests my doctor referred me to a neurologist, who said they couldn’t see anything wrong with my brain to have caused the stutter, and that he had high hopes my stutter would go away. 

My Doctors weren’t very helpful and couldn’t do much as I developed a stutter without injury, long story short I ended up out of work for a year and began waiting for therapy that I ended up getting rejected for. It’s been a long tough year, full of tears, shock, confusion, isolation, worry and fear but Alhamdulillah everything happens for a reason and stuttering doesn’t make me less of a person I know that today.

Some days I feel normal again or like my old self as I didn’t stutter, then some days I stutter. but regardless it now makes me who I am and that’s ok. I haven’t met anybody with a stutter yet or been in any support groups but this page by Sutter UAE has been incredible and kept me going through my darkest times. It’s so nice to see I’m not alone and that I can still live my life without being embarrassed of who I am or what I may sound like. 

I find it extra tricky some days as I am a teaching assistant and tend to just not say anything on the days I really struggle but I know I need to keep strong for myself, regain my confidence and be positive for them too. I really hope to visit the UAE one day and see the amazing work done to help those who stutter. 

I hope my story brings some of you hope that nobody is ever alone even when you may feel you are and that  life is so unpredictable in the sense that you never know what’s coming or the reason for everything but sometimes the thing that seems difficult can be one of the biggest blessings without you realizing.

 Alhamdulillah for everything. One of my favorite dua’s that has kept me going:  

 “ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي”

“My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance], ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.” (Quran, 20:25-28)

Hajar’s story conveys a message of optimism and self-acceptance. Your stutter is a part of who you are, but it is not who you are. Nobody can tell you that you don’t deserve to live a normal life like everyone else. You Need to believe in yourself that you deserve to live the life that you want and that you are fine, there is nothing wrong with you simply because you talk differently.

As the quote by American inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant goes “When you stand and share your story in an empowering way, your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.”

We are here to empower your voice and inspire others through your story and experiences. So share your story with us and we will share it with the world!