My Dyslexia Story: Faye Murrell
Monday 21 July 2025
I was diagnosed around 2010, so I was 7 or 8.
My teachers called my parents in for a meeting, that's when they said they think I have dyslexia.听I think the teachers must of known when I wasn't on the same level as all the other children my听age.
I felt like I couldn't talk to anyone as I didn't understand what was going on in my head. I always thought that I wasn't good enough and I will always be a dumb kid.听
But in a positive way, I鈥檓 great at problem solving, and I'm a very creative person. Having dyslexia has made me see things in a different way and be able to help others.
The only support I got from schools was from Year 1 - Year 6.听I didn't get any help at school in secondary school; I got support from family but in education nothing.
It made it very difficult as I thought no one would understand me, so I got put in the bottom set for everything.听
In my exams, I did get an extra 5-10 minutes added to help, as it would take me a while to read the questions.听
At secondary school, a teacher told me not to aim so high in life because I won鈥檛 be disappointed that way. So I did the complete opposite.听
I now help other people, to communicate, and learn new life skills.听I have run charity events to raise money.听 And most importantly, I have the confidence to do more as a 21-year-old.听
At the end of the day, it鈥檚 who you are. You may find some things hard. But you can do it. You can push yourself through it and become whoever you want to be. If you believe in yourself, there is no stopping you.听
Don鈥檛 give up on yourself.
Did you know? People with Dyslexia are also more likely to form 3D spatial images in their minds than non-dyslexic people.听
My Poem
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I have dyslexia鈥�.I often sit here thinking what really goes on inside my head. But I never know. I never know how to get my words out to say how I鈥檓 feeling or what I鈥檓 thinking. 听The words get mixed up inside my head and I feel like I鈥檓 drowning, I feel like the walls are caving in.
I have dyslexia, so when I say I guess I'm fine. I really mean I do know, but I don鈥檛 know how to say it. I can feel it, but to put it in words is so hard, so I stay quiet.听
I have dyslexia, so when you ask me to read out loud, just let me be. Why can鈥檛 I be left alone? Why won鈥檛 you leave me alone? I can鈥檛 read allowed and I want the ground to swallow me up.听
I have dyslexia, so when people laugh at me for spelling something wrong, it makes me want to cry. I feel so embarrassed, but yet I laugh as it鈥檚 much easier to laugh with the people than cry and have them laugh at you more.听
I have dyslexia, so it鈥檚 easier to pretend that you're dumb than have people think you're dumb. Even though deep down I do, I kinda know I am.听
I have dyslexia, so when people stare at me, my mind is telling me they think I鈥檓 not good enough, they think I don鈥檛 deserve what I have. They might not be saying it to me, and they might not be thinking it. But I feel it.听
I am human, so I do feel every laugh at me. I do feel hurt. I do feel like I鈥檓 not good enough, so don鈥檛 you worry about telling me that. As I think about it every day and I tell myself that.听
I am human. You say I鈥檓 clever or beautiful inside or out, but that doesn鈥檛 help. That doesn鈥檛 make it easier to live.
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I have dyslexia, so I think about every move, every set,p and every word as I鈥檓 so so so scared to mess up everything.听
I have dyslexia, so every day is hard.听
Working is hard, sometimes I feel like it鈥檚 numbers, words, talking, numbers, words, talking, numbers, words, talking, numbers, words, talking, numbers, words, talking, numbers, words, talking,g AAAAAGH!
I want it to stop. I want to have one day where I don鈥檛 worry about it. I find it so hard but yet I do it. I don鈥檛 know how, but I do it.听
I have dyslexia, so when I write something, I read it 3 times to make sure it鈥檚 correct, but I don鈥檛 know if it is. 听
I have dyslexia, I don鈥檛 know if I spelled Bannans right or wrong, why so many As? Why so many Ns? And I don鈥檛 even understand some words like garden gnome. G. N. O. M. E., why a G?
I am human, I鈥檝e been told so many times I can do something, but I鈥檝e also been told I can鈥檛, so I believe I can鈥檛. Therefore, I can鈥檛.听
I have short-term memory loss, so when you ask me to remember some information, don鈥檛 look at me like I鈥檓 weird for writing it down, I won鈥檛 remember. I can鈥檛 remember. And when I forget, don鈥檛 shout at me or say you鈥檙e disappointed in me. Because, news flash, you鈥檙e not the only one who鈥檚 disappointed. I am too, I always am.听
I have short-term memory loss. Don鈥檛 say you can train your brain to remember stuff, you just need to put in effort. I have I鈥檝e tried, I can鈥檛. I try and try and try. The amount of of times I鈥檝e played Kim鈥檚 games, matching games, memory games, cup games. I鈥檝e tried. And I can鈥檛 do it. And yet again I鈥檓 embarrassed, but I laugh as like I said it鈥檚 easier to laugh than cry. But I won鈥檛 give up because that鈥檚 not me.听
I have dyslexia, so when I鈥檓 with a big group of people, I like to stay silent as I don鈥檛 want to stutter or say something wrong. I get told I鈥檓 a great listener. But that鈥檚 because I don鈥檛 know what to say. I鈥檓 sorry that when you were crying and I sat there. It鈥檚 not because I don鈥檛 care. I do. I just can鈥檛 communicate it. I promise I鈥檓 not mean. I鈥檓 sorry.
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I have dyslexia, I may find it all har,d and I may be thinking this on the inside, but at the end of the day I am human, you are human we all are human and we find ways to live, we find ways to survive and make each day a little easier. I sure did. 听I may not be book smart, but I am smart, I work hard and play harder, I do my best, and that鈥檚 what matters.听
It鈥檚 taken me a long time to learn this, but if I can make myself happy and proud, I don鈥檛 need to listen to the negative thoughts I think or hear from someone else. So even though I don鈥檛 know how to say how I鈥檓 feeling, it doesn鈥檛 mean I don鈥檛 feel. Doesn't mean the laughs don鈥檛 hurt.
I have dyslexia, even though I try to hide it. It鈥檚 still a part of me. I don鈥檛 see it as a superpower I see it as a pain in the ass but I鈥檓 okay with it. Even though I鈥檓 going to find it hard for the rest of my life, that鈥檚 fine.听
I have dyslexia. Just please give me time to work it out. Don't do it for me unless I ask for help, don鈥檛 think I can鈥檛, because then I can鈥檛. And don't just meet me for the first time and think Wow she鈥檚 dumb as you still don鈥檛 know me. You haven鈥檛 got to see my funny side, my loving side, because you judge me straight away. You don鈥檛 know me.听
I have dyslexia听
I have short-term memory loss
I am human听
I am the same as you.听