Sir Richard Branson replies to dyslexic girl's letter to him
Having been inspired by his videos, a nine-year-old girl suffering from dyslexia wrote a letter to her hero Sir Richard Branson – and she got a handwritten response from him.
In the letter, the girl, Honor Smith, thanked the founder of the Virgin Group for helping her feel more confident about herself.
"When my perons [sic] told me I had dyslexia I thort [sic] my life was ruined but I watched your videos on it," she wrote.
Branson, who also suffers from dyslexia, was touched after reading the little girl's letter and decided to write back to her.
He believes that it is important for those who are dyslexic to know that their condition does not put them at a disadvantage.
"From my 20s I started talking about the fact that I've discovered that I was dyslexic," the 64-year-old told Friends of Quinn in an interview in 2013.
"I did it on purpose because I think it's important for young kids who've been told that they're dyslexic to see that there are successful people [who can] get through it."
In his reply to the child, he encouraged Smith not to be ashamed of her condition but rather to see it as a gift.
"Don't ever let people put you down for being dyslexic. Being dyslexic is actually an advantage and has helped me greatly in life," he wrote.
"I look forward to hearing great things you've achieved in life."
Sources: London Evening Standard, Virgin.com
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