Helping a Cause

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending an event hosted by the Hollins Communications Research Institute at Hollins University.

This non-profit works to help stutterers. This is probably not a problem that is high on people's radar in terms of disability, but the truth is it can be very disabling. Stuttering causes mental trauma and anguish and can result in low self-esteem, among other things.

It affects about 2 million people; most are men (4:1). Stuttering usually begins between the ages of two and four.

Stuttering is *not* the result of some kind of emotional or mental issue. Research at HCRI shows it is related to muscles, making it a physical problem. Their work focuses on retraining muscles so that stuttering is limited or removed entirely.

They have a 90 percent success rate with their treatment, but the treatment is expensive, costing thousands of dollars for their program. Even so, about 200 people go through their program each year.

Famous stutterers include Aristotle, Charles Darwin, Moses (although I am not sure how they know this), Marylin Monroe and Isaac Newton. At this event yesterday, people attended from all walks of life. Some were captains of their industries, which ran the gamut from pharmaceuticals to overseeing 33,000 school students.

According to HCRI's website, others who have sought help from the institute are Annie Glenn, wife of U.S. Senator John Glenn; Lester Hayes of the Los Angeles Raiders, for whom postgame interviews were torture; and 20/20 reporter John Stossel, whose speech problem interfered with his career.

Saturday's event was the kick-off of a multi-million fundraising campaign. The doctors at HCRI believe they are on the verge of medical breakthroughs for stuttering, but need an endowment fund to continue their research.

This is a very worthy program. The institute was founded in 1972 by Dr. Ronald L. Webster, who has pioneered work in the development of objectively defined, behaviorally-oriented stuttering therapy. The institute has helped thousands of people.

If you're looking for a local non-profit for your charity dollars, this one deserves a look.

The Virginia General Assembly honored the program during the 2007 session.