13 September, 2021

MTU’s Jamie Googan is part of the team heading up a national campaign to draw awareness to stuttering and mental health.

The Stuttering Awareness Mental Wellbeing campaign was officially launched by Cllr. Colm Kelleher, Lord Mayor of Cork and Dr Cian O'Neill, Head of Department of Sport, Leisure and Childhood Studies at MTU on 15 September.

It is estimated that 1% of the world’s population has a stutter and while 0.8% will grow out of it during their teenage years, 0.2% will have it for life. The 12-week campaign will feature a series of interviews with individuals who stutter, teachers and lecturers dealing with individuals who stutter, speech therapists and parents in the lead up to National Stuttering Awareness Day on the 22nd of October. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jamie, an MTU graduate of the Department of Sport, Leisure and Childhood Studies, has struggled with stuttering for almost 20 years. In his first year in college, Jamie reached out and asked for help, transforming both his speech and his life with the help of Noel Collins, Con Burns and Cian O’Neill. He now actively advocates on both radio and television promoting stuttering awareness and mental wellbeing issues.

The campaign has been endorsed by the Irish Stammering Association,Unmasked Mental Health in the UK, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and several sports stars including former Cork hurler Lorcan McLoughin, seven-time Irish Heavyweight Champion Joe Egan (a regular sparring partner of Mike Tyson!), and Tyson Fury. The campaign team is also working to secure a meeting with American President Joe Biden, who is also challenged by stuttering, with the support of former Taoiseach Enda Kenny and RTE.

For more information or to contact the team go to the Stuttering Awareness Mental Wellbeing Ireland Facebook page.

 

 

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