Jayden Grahlman Kicks Off CROW Residency With A Benefit
Tonight (Oct. 4), Jayden Grahlman kicks off his month-long residency at CROW Bar and Variety in a very special way, raising funds for Josh Noronha, the young Collingwood man who broke his neck in a trampoline accident and is paralysed from the chest down. For this special event he has enlisted the aid of other local talents Romney Getty, Drew Wright and Coming of Age.
This is the third such residency since CROW opened its doors this summer. The first one featured Austin McCarthy and the second one presented the duo Hunnay, with Dave Russell. The feature has been well received by both audiences and the players who have welcomed this opportunity to build an audience at the same time as they build their chops.
Normally there is no cover for these nights. Tonight is an exception. They are asking for $20 at the door because it is a fundraiser for a very special young man. In addition to the door receipts, further funds will be raised through a 50/50 draw and a Silent Auction. On top of that, CROW Bar and Variety will be generously donating a percentage of food sales.
The fundraiser is necessary because the lifelong costs resulting from an accident of this kind can be as challenging as the recovery process. In addition to the costs of meals, traveling and parking for Josh’s immediate family while he undergoes physio, occupational and recreational therapies at the Lyndhurst rehab centre, the family is looking at ongoing costs that include mobility, housing renovations, training, living expenses, caregivers, physical therapy and psychotherapy.
The accident happened on August 18th when Josh, who has worked at Collingwood Trampoline as a coach since he was a teenager, was practising flips with a friend. His head and left arm went through the springs and smashed into the floor breaking his neck. He was airlifted to Sunnybrook Hospital where he was rushed into surgery. His life was changed forever.
But Josh’s story is a bittersweet mix of tragedy and inspiration. At the time of the accident he had been saving his money and working toward his plan to open his own trampoline centre in London. Despite everything, he hasn’t abandoned that plan.
Liz Braun, writing in The Toronto Sun, commented, “His attitude is so transcendent it’s almost like a super-power.”
“Half the things I love to do involve my upper body.” He told her, “I’m a complete nerd. I need my hands to type on computers. The fact that I have this, and people like this in my corner…do you know how lucky I am? I think about how lucky I am to even have my arms.”
With an attitude like that, Josh, who turns 26 this month, clearly has a bright future that no twist of fate can undermine.
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