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Connor

Connor who suffered a brain injury after a bone marrow transplant for leukaemia.

Audio quote from Connor

'My name is Connor and I stay in Bathgate and my age is 14 years old. I've got a brain injury.

'People judge me before they even know me because of the way that I speak. People think that I'm stupid because of the way that I talk. I'm not stupid because I'm good at history, biology, drama.

'Well, people think that me and my support assistant know nothing, but we do know stuff. She knows stuff about me better than anybody else.'

Question: 'And do you want people to listen to you?'

'Yes, I do want people to listen to me because I'm not stupid, I'm smart.

'I've got a different way of learning.'

Question: 'With your exam you were saying?'

'My exams - I sometimes can't get words out but I can talk to Mrs Townsend, or Mum or someone like that about history or something like that.'

Question: 'So you've got a different way of working and you want people to take that into account?'

'Yes. I do.

'Because people think that I'm, well, when I talk I stutter a bit which means people back off from me.'

Question: 'But they don't need to do they Connor?'

'No they don't, 'cos I'm a nice guy! I'm perfectly bright and able because I can talk to anyone about anything you want me to.'