Meet Virginie Vezie, a Dyslexic Dental Surgeon Who Turned Her Difference Into Strength
Some stories challenge the way we think about learning difficulties.
When you discover the journey of Virginie Vezie, a dental surgeon, author, and dyslexic woman, one thing becomes clear: struggling in school does not define a child’s future.
In her book Un chemin fée pour toi: Dyslexie, transforme tes faiblesses en super-pouvoirs, Virginie shares her story with honesty and warmth. The book has not yet been translated into English, but the original French version is available on Amazon. It tells the story of a child who doubted herself for years, often felt misunderstood, and yet eventually found her way, all the way to medical studies and a career that many might have thought was out of reach.
Her school years were difficult from the very beginning. She repeated first grade without being able to read or write a single word, not even her own name. For years, dictations ended with almost every word marked wrong, and zeros became painfully familiar. Fortunately, she was supported by a speech therapist twice a week from first grade through sixth grade. That support was invaluable, but it did not make the journey easy.
Through her testimony, Virginie Vezie shares a message of hope for dyslexic children and their parents. Her story reminds us that dyslexia says nothing about intelligence, creativity, or the ability to succeed. Above all, it shows how important it is to change the way we see ourselves in order to unlock our full potential.
For the Lili for Life blog, Virginie agreed to talk about her journey, the challenges she faced, the strengths she developed through her difference, and the message she hopes to pass on to families who may be going through the same questions today.
How would you like to be introduced today: as a dental surgeon, an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur, or something else?
Today, I would like to be introduced as someone who passes on hope. I am a dental surgeon by profession and an author by passion, but above all, I am a former dyslexic child who wants to share one message: our difficulties do not define our worth or our future.
In your book, you explain that for a long time, you believed you were “bad at everything.” How do you look back on that time today?
With a lot of tenderness. For a long time, I thought I was less capable than other children because I could not learn the way they did. Today, I understand that I was not incapable. I simply learned differently. That period of my life taught me empathy, perseverance, and inner strength.
When did you realize that dyslexia did not define your intelligence?
For a very long time, I believed my dyslexia defined my intelligence. Even after passing the medical entrance exam and becoming a dental surgeon, I still carried a sense of shame deep inside, along with the feeling that I was different. I had learned how to succeed, but I had not yet learned how to recognize my own value.
The real turning point came much later, only a few years ago, when I began writing my book, Un chemin fée pour toi. As I revisited my story, I looked back at the little girl I once was through the eyes of the adult I had become. I realized how far I had come, how much energy I had put into moving forward, and everything my challenges had helped me develop.
Writing became a form of reconciliation with myself. For the first time, I no longer saw my dyslexia as a weakness to hide, but as part of my story, a difference that helped shape the woman I am today.
How did you become a dental surgeon despite your struggles in school?
Not because I had a perfect path, but because I persevered. I repeated a grade, I doubted myself, and I worked extremely hard. Every obstacle forced me to develop new strategies. My story proves that a child who is struggling today can still succeed tomorrow, even in demanding academic fields.
What strengths has dyslexia helped you develop?
Creativity, the ability to find different solutions, resilience, and empathy. When something is difficult, you learn how to work around obstacles. Dyslexia forced me to develop resources I might never have discovered otherwise.
There is one strength that helps me every day in my work: many dyslexic people develop an excellent ability to visualize shapes and volumes in space. Understanding dental structures in three dimensions and anticipating technical gestures are part of my daily life, and I probably owe part of that ease to my dyslexia.
What would you say to a dyslexic child who is doubting themselves?
I would tell them: “Never confuse a difficulty with a limit.”
You may be struggling with certain things today, but that says nothing about who you can become. Keep going. Your path may be different, but it can still be beautiful.
What message would you like to share with parents?
Believe in your child, especially when they no longer believe in themselves. Behind bad grades, there is often a child who is suffering and needs reassurance. Love, trust, and encouragement can sometimes change a life.
Why did you write Un chemin fée pour toi?
The desire to write this book began three years ago, during a group coaching session. That day, I shared my story: the story of a severely dyslexic little girl who repeated first grade without being able to read or write her own name, and who later became a dental surgeon. At the end of my testimony, the coach looked at me and said, “You know, some people have written books for less than that.”
That sentence planted a seed in my mind, and it kept growing.
I wrote this book to reach out to the child I once was. I wish someone had told me that it was possible to succeed despite dyslexia, repeated school years, and doubt. If my story can give hope to just one child or one parent, then the book has served its purpose.
And if I had to sum up the message in one sentence, it would be this:
“There are no mistakes, only another path.”
A book designed for readers who thought they would never finish a book
Beyond the personal story, Un chemin fée pour toi was also designed to be accessible to dyslexic readers, and the feedback Virginie receives says a lot about its impact.
One recent message from a teenager particularly moved her. For this young reader, the book represented a first: the first time they had ever managed to finish a book. It was an immense source of pride for someone for whom reading is usually a real challenge.
“It was the first book I was able to finish.”
This kind of feedback is not isolated. During recent talks and events, parents have come up to Virginie deeply moved, sharing how her book changed the way they see their child’s dyslexia: with less fear, and more trust.
For Virginie, this response is no coincidence. She designed the book so that readers would want to know what happens next from one chapter to the next, making the effort of reading feel lighter because of the desire to continue the story.
This focus on reading comfort also echoes the mission of Lili for Life: to offer a reading aid for people with dyslexia, helping make reading smoother and more accessible in everyday life.
Once again, these stories confirm Virginie’s core message: there are no mistakes, only another path, including when it comes to the way we approach reading.
👉 Discover the French edition of Un chemin fée pour toi on Amazon
