The Miami SOL is honored to recognize 11-year-old Ashley Moore as its sixth SHERO of the season. Ashley was nominated to be a SHERO by the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and Marc Buoniconti, ambassador of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, made the special SHERO presentation to her, awarding her with an official WNBA basketball autographed by the entire SOL team and an official, personalized SOL jersey. She was recognized at halftime of the SOL’s first Kids Camp Day of the 2002 season on June 21.

Ashley’s life took a dramatic turn four years ago in Tallahassee, when on her daily five-minute drive to school the impact of a car accident caused her head to snap back so severely, it caused her neck to move more than an inch off her spinal cord, paralyzing her from the neck down. A miracle Ashley survived at all, she is the youngest child in the United States ever to survive such a serious spinal cord injury and suffers from a condition comparable to that of actor Christopher Reeve. Through a dramatic chain of events, the Moore family – father David, mother Lisa and younger sister Alexis – moved to Miami to be closer to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, located at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Ashley’s unwavering faith and belief in the power of God has kept her spirits high and propelled her to succeed in life, despite being bound to a wheelchair, dependency on a respirator to breathe and four years of rigorous physical rehabilitation.

Like a typical young girl, Ashley enjoys traveling, shopping, watching movies, and swimming and playing with her K-9 companion, Fantom. She is a member of Girl Scouts, writes poetry and visits other disabled kids to cheer them up and encourage them to enjoy life. She’s also a stellar student at Palmetto Elementary School in Miami, where she has been a two-time Student of the Month and recipient of the President’s Education Award, the Certificate of Achievement for Pride, Respect and Excellence, and the Perseverance Award.

Ashley looks forward to her future, with plans of becoming a veterinarian. Although her journey has been difficult, the determined and optimistic Moore family believes that they will not only see Ashley walk again, but run and dance like she used to. The Moore family has established the Ashley Moore Fund, Inc., which leverages contributions from generous individuals and companies to help pay for uncovered medical expenses and deductibles.

The SOL is proud to honor Ashley as a SHERO for her courage and her strong faith. But mostly, for her inspiring will to walk again, one day, soon. The SOL was also glad to have the opportunity to show the thousands of kids that filled the arena that day, that kids in wheelchairs, paralyzed or otherwise, are “just like you and me.”

Marc Buoniconti Background:
In 1985, Barth A. Green, M.D. and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti helped found the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after Nick's son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game. Today, the Miami Project is the world's largest, most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center based at the University of Miami School of Medicine. The Miami Project's international team of over 85 scientists and clinicians take innovative approaches to the challenge of spinal cord injury. Committed to finding a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury and to seeing millions worldwide walk again, the Buoniconti family established the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis in 1992, a non-profit organization devoted to assisting the Miami Project achieve its national and international goals. The Buoniconti Fund serves as the national fundraising arm of the Miami Project. It is designed to complement the scientific accomplishments of the Miami Project by generating funds and high levels of awareness.