HAMPTON, Va. — A grandmother in Hampton has spent the last two years keeping the legacy of her late grandson alive.
The nonprofit known as 'Malon's Project' aims to create positivity in the lives of children with special needs and deter them from violent crime.
Joanne Cramatie says the idea for her nonprofit came from the pages of her grandson Malon's diary. Those written words are all she has left of him following a tragic end to his life at age 17.
"My grandson was murdered on August 24, 2020, and he got murdered in the daytime; multiple stabbings, and they have not found out who did it," said Cramatie.
Cramatie wanted to channel the pain she felt into positivity for someone else.
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At a young age, Malon was diagnosed with ADHD. After finding his diary, Cramatie read that he dreamed of one day having a 14-story building, each floor with different activities for him and his friends, from a 10-foot pool to a basketball court.
After his death, Cramatie created 'Malon's Project', an organization that provides activities and teaches skills to children with special needs.
The group also promotes anti-violence against ADHD teens and tries to put troubled kids on the right path.
"If we could just save one kid... and turn them around and show them that they can do something else besides hurting another person... that's what one of our focuses is," said Cramatie.
Through the nonprofit, she hopes to protect children like Malon from being involved in crime or victims of violence.
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According to The Transmitter, a publication that focuses on neuroscience, children on the spectrum are up to three times as likely to be bullied or suffer physical abuse.
Cramatie says she'll frequently open Malon's diary to read her grandson's dreams and uses these pages as a blueprint for what the nonprofit could be one day.
"I don't know if we will ever have a 14-story building, but we will certainly have 14 different programs that will include all these things he wanted for his friends," said Cramatie.
You can learn more about Malon's Project by clicking the link here.
