Boris London came into this world too soon- born at just 6 months and 3 weeks, he was so tiny that he couldn’t breathe or eat on his own. Just four weeks old, he needed a blood transfusion to survive. The NICU became his first home for 6 weeks.
As he grew, Boris faced another battle—he couldn’t speak. While other kids were forming sentences, he remained silent. It was just heartbreaking. At 8 years old, his world was still mostly wordless. The only phrases he could put together only two simple words, like “give water.”
I searched everywhere for answers—brain scans, hear screening, autism assessments, Jump Start program, endless speech therapists… I attended a special school for parents of special children with different kinds of delays.
As a single mom without any support, the journey was overwhelming: I lost count of the experts we saw- 17 speech therapists in San Francisco, 4 more in the Bay Area, abroad offline and online… But I have never lost hope and faith..
Then, everything changed.
A friend introduced us to Maryna Belous, a speech therapist with a gift for helping children like Boris. After just two sessions, she diagnosed him with articulatory dyspraxia, dysphasia, dyslexia, and dysgraphia. The prognosis wasn’t good—she warned that he might never speak clearly.
But we refused to give up.
Boris worked relentlessly.
Daily speech therapy—sometimes more than two sessions a day.
From Marynas letter: “It must be noted that Boris has gone through an incredibly difficult journey. Typically, speech development is expected to be completed by the age of 8, and children with normal speech development achieve this effortlessly. But Boris had to fight for his speech.
Daily training—often frustrating and unsuccessful—would be challenging for anyone, let alone a child. There were moments when things didn’t work out, when I wanted to cry, and when Boris became deeply frustrated. But I tried not to show it.
His unwavering determination to reach his goal. It was only through his persistence, hard work, resilience, and patience that he overcame every obstacle and achieved clear speech.
I am infinitely grateful to have a student like Boris.
Home practices, exercises, games, and even singing to help his speech develop.
April 2023: Boris joined a music school and started taking vocal lessons. And then, in June 2023, something incredible happened. At his first music performance, Boris stepped onto the stage. As he started singing, something magical unfolded- the entire audience came ALIVE.
Kids jumped up, dancing with him, drawn in by his energy.
It wasn’t just a performance- it was a moment – That night, Boris found his voice!
Now, he has one dream: to stand on a huge stage, light up an arena, and make people feel what he feels when he sings. And his next step? America’s Got Talent!
Unfortunately, last week I was laid off from my job. Just like that, the cost of training, vocal lessons, recording and preparation became impossible. I felt ashamed to ask for help, but then I thought about everything Boris has overcome. He never gave up on his Voice. I won’t give up on his Dream. So we are choosing to fight for this.
If Boris’s story touches you, please consider supporting his journey.
Every donation helps cover his music lessons, coaching, and audition prep.
Your kindness can help him take the stage and show the world what true perseverance looks like.
Boris was silent for so long- now it’s time for him to be heard
Thank you for believing in him! ♥️
https://www.gofundme.com/f/from-silence-to-the-stage-help-boris-shine-on-agt
