Steve Cooper of Potomac has been selected as the recipient of the Hamilton Relay 2021 Better Hearing and Speech Month Recognition Award for the state of Maryland.
Steve had a laryngectomy in February 2019 and since has been an active member in the community, especially with those who have speech differences. He is currently the secretary of the Laryngectomee Club of Montgomery County and a member of the Governor’s Advisory Board for Telecommunications Relay (GABTR) of Maryland, representing individuals with limited speech. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Laryngectomees (IAL) and is the past vice president and current treasurer of WebWhisperers, Inc. Laryngectome Support Group.
He is an active member of Imerman Angels Cancer Support Community and is a peer-to-peer patient mentor and advocate for the laryngectomee community at several local hospitals and medical facilities. Steve has also contributed to this same community in England by writing an article for a support group about his journey.
One outstanding constant from Steve’s friends and colleagues is how helpful and supportive he is to people who are beginning their journey with laryngectomies. In a Facebook post introducing Steve to Maryland Relay followers, there are many well wishes and affirmations of support for Steve. He is known to be very positive, supportive and incredibly eager about any and all opportunities to share information about the Limited Speech community.