Press kit · for journalists, editors, brand teams

Everything you need to write about me well.

bios. facts. photos. the rules.

Editorial portrait of Staś in deep green

Facts

The basics, in one place.

Full name
Stanisław Dovganyuk
Goes by
Staś (pronounced 'Stash')
Pronouns
he / him
Age
13
Born
Kluczbork, Poland · 2012
Based
Szczecin, Poland
Languages read & written
English · Polish
Languages learning
German · French · Japanese
Spoken languages
None, aphonic / physically mute since birth
Communicates with
Typing · AAC · sign · expression
Diagnoses (public)
Bilateral vocal-fold agenesis · partial hypopituitarism · autism · C-PTSD
Main blog
mutedoodleden.com
Press inbox
management@mutestas.com

Bios · please copy as-is

Short or long.

click to copy ↓

Short bio · 60 words

Stanisław "Staś" Dovganyuk (b. 2012, Kluczbork, Poland) is a physically mute poet, artist and editorial model based in Szczecin, Poland. He was born without vocal folds and has never made a sound. He writes free-verse poetry and short essays, most published on his blog Mute Doodle Den, and works as an editorial model with his guardians and management always on set.

Long bio · 150 words

Staś is a thirteen-year-old poet, blogger and editorial model. He was born in Kluczbork, Poland in 2012 with bilateral vocal-fold agenesis and has been physically mute his entire life. After an early head injury that affected his pituitary gland, his body stopped growing at the size of a much younger child; his cognition is fully age-appropriate. He spent several years in foster care before being adopted by his current family, with whom he now lives in Szczecin. He communicates through typing, an AAC speech-generating app, written notes, sign and expression. His writing, free verse and short essays about mutism, autism, foster care, mental health and quiet observation, lives on his official blog, Mute Doodle Den. His modeling work is exclusively editorial, age-appropriate, and always supervised by a guardian and a member of his management team.

Please

A few small rules.

These are non-negotiable. Stories that hold them are easier for everyone.

  1. 01

    Use mute, physically mute, aphonic, silent or voiceless, they're all factual descriptors of the same condition. Just don't use them as a metaphor for someone who could speak but won't.

  2. 02

    He is autistic. Autism is part of who he is, not a tragedy, not a superpower.

  3. 03

    Do not describe him as 'looking younger' to imply innocence or fragility for tone.

  4. 04

    His foster-care years are real, not a character backstory. Handle with the care you would for any child.

  5. 05

    All quotes go through management, he writes them himself, then we send them.

Press images · low-res preview

Hi-res files are sent on request, write to management@mutestas.com.

that's the kit.

For interviews, hi-res images, or quotes, write to my team.

management@mutestas.com