Grayden Moore

“every young person should be in a place they want to live in with the support to be as independent as possible… every young person should have this choice.”

It was a devastating skateboard accident that abruptly, dramatically and permanently changed the course of Grayden’s life.  If not for the immediate response of the neighbour who witnessed the accident, Grayden’s story would have ended that October day in 2004.The journey Grayden and his family have faced since the accident has been arduous and relentless.  For a long time Grayden’s grasp on life was tenuous, and his recovery suffered major set backs along the way.  Backed by a strong, supportive and proactive family, Grayden has made significant progress.

Grayden says with pride “it is miraculous to recover from the critical condition I was in, and defy the odds, and every doctor’s opinion regarding my outcome and future….. I was sent to a nursing home where I was with people more than twice my age.  I would love to meet the doctors who initially saw me who said I would remain a vegetable for life and never be able to talk or walk – if I didn’t die.”

Grayden’s accident effectively erased his memory for eight years of the life he lead – the dynamic, successful six years prior to his accident largely spent studying and touring on the international tennis circuit, and the first two gruelling years of recovery following the accident.  Slowly, snippets of memory are returning, but he relies on his family to fill in the gaps.

Grayden has had to relearn the most basic functions – it was 2006 before Grayden was able to sit by himself and begin the process of  learning to walk again.  In the past year Grayden has focused on relearning how to live his life, and how to do things the rest of us take for granted. What is important to Grayden right now is constructing a life for himself as close to the life that was put on hold 5 long years ago. Grayden wants to live in a place he likes with other young people, where he can have the help he needs.  He would love to live by the beach in Melbourne, as he did many years ago.  Piece-by-piece Grayden is reconstructing his life – touching those he meets along the way with his gentle nature, his sense of humour and his passion for life. For the moment Grayden actively lends his support and voice to a cause close to his heart – keeping young people out of nursing homes.

Grayden believes: “every young person should be in a place they want to live in with the support to be as independent as possible….every young person should have this choice.”