I'm able to speak with the speechless because I too am often speechless.

I'm able to speak with the speechless because I too am often speechless. Greetings, I am a respiratory therapist and a stutterer as well. My fluency ranges from passing for fluent, to pretty severe blocks and a syllable repetition. As a respiratory therapist who stutters, I developed a special passion for trach patients because they too can't talk most of the time. For those who do not know, a tracheostomy is a artificial airway that is created by puncturing a hole into your neck to facilitate air flow and/or comfort for long-term ventilator support. Patient's with this artificial airway often have difficulty speaking. They go through so much loss very suddenly, and losing their ability to speak is a grief that most medical providers and family members cannot empathize with. The grief it causes the human soul is something that we as stutters understand all too well. That is why I go out of my way to speak with those who have lost their speech. I've gotten really good at reading lips and facial cues. I have the pleasure of watching the relief wash over them as they finally say what they've been trying to say. I go out of my way to teach this patience to my fellow coworkers, as well as ASL to both the staff and my patients. I get to give these patients the empathy that I wish other gave me growing up, and that feels good. While I may never have 100% speech fluency, I can speak to, and speak up for, the speechless in my own way.