Michael Kidd-Gilchrist encountered numerous obstacles throughout his basketball journey, but his most difficult struggle began well before he rose to prominence as an athlete. Raised in New Jersey, he faced difficulties with a speech impediment that led to a persistent stutter throughout his life. In his retirement, Kidd-Gilchrist has discovered a new passion: promoting the importance of speech therapy accessibility.
Speaking Out on Stuttering
Throughout his life, Kidd-Gilchrist experienced taunting and discrimination because of his stutter. He was frequently misunderstood by others, with many mistakenly believing that he was not intelligent. He revealed that there was a negative perception. Several years ago, if you had asked me if I would do this, I would have thought you were joking. I was too lacking in self-confidence. However, with time, he discovered his own voice and now actively supports the availability of speech therapy services.
Advocacy for Speech Therapy Access
Encouraged by the advocacy efforts of his NBA peers, Kidd-Gilchrist has started collaborating with legislators to advocate for speech therapy to be included in health insurance coverage. He has already started to make advancements, assisting in the introduction of bills in states where he has personal ties, such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Kentucky. He aims to have identical legislation implemented across the entire country.
A Role Model for Kids
Kidd-Gilchrist aims to make sure that kids with speech disorders can get therapy sooner than he did. His efforts are directed towards providing hope to children who are encountering similar challenges as he once did. He stated his desire to be a bridge for children across the nation who face the same problem as him. I am glad to assist children in accessing opportunities that I did not have.
Kidd-Gilchrist’s activism is deeply personal to him, and he is determined to continue until he leaves a lasting mark.
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