Here is a true story of how my son got cured of his stammering. When my son was 4

years old, he suddenly developed stammering. It was bizarre that a boy who spoke

fluently should all of a sudden start stammering. I was devastated. I later on found out

that my brother-in-law with whom we lived at that time and who loved my children

dearly, was trying to shoo a lizard (which are found on the walls of Indian homes,) with a

long stick. At the time he was also carrying my son in one hand. I heard that the lizard

fell down as my brother-in-law was poking at the lizard and my son was so scared that he

gave a loud scream and the stammering started after that.

            After the initial shock, I sat and thought about what I should do. Of course the

first thing I did was knelt down and prayed to God to cure my son. People said that I

should go to Mount Mary’s church in Bombay and offer a candle by the shape of a

tongue. Yes. I did that. I would do anything for my son. Besides I did have faith in

Mother Mary. I had now covered my faith base. I knew I had to do more. I bought some

books with the pictures of lizards and snakes and started reading about them to my son.

Initially he did not want to even look at the picture of the lizard. I did not force him.

Gradually he not only looked at the picture but he also touched the picture. Then I went

one step further. I brought two plastic lizards. I called them ‘mama lizard’ and ‘baby

lizard.’ I made up good stories about them and gradually my son held the lizard in his

hand. In the mean time his stammering started becoming less and less. Then I told him

that when his uncle tried to shoo the lizard with a stick, it must have hurt the poor

creature and it must have lost balance and fell down to the floor. “Can you imagine

how frightened the poor lizard must have felt?” I asked him. He was very sympathetic

towards the poor lizard. I

"If it was the mama lizard, what about the baby?"

"The baby must have missed its mother. The mother of course must have crawled up later and found its baby," I replied. 

In the mean time my son's stammering was getting lesser and lesser and eventually it stopped. I did go to ‘Mount Mary’s Church’ once again to light a candle of thanks.

I was not a psychologist. Therefore I think God alone must have given me the idea to use such a strategy to cure my son’s stammering. I was thankful.