Delaware athlete overcomes childhood injury to play Division I baseball

Stephanie Graham couldn’t believe her eyes when she walked up to her parents' house just one day after moving from West Virginia to Delaware.

When she arrived, police cars and ambulances surrounded the area. 

When she rounded the corner, Graham’s father stood with blood dripping from his coat.  

Her son, Braydan Graham, who at the time was 3, had been involved in a lawn-mower accident which left the toddler with permanent scars. His left pinkie was gone, his thumb fused and a long trail of severe cuts and marks stretched up Graham’s arm.

He would go through 26 surgeries over the next several years and had to take speech therapy while relearning how to walk. It was also discovered that mold had entered the 3-year-old’s bloodstream, requiring countless blood transfusions.

But in 2019, Graham will enter his final season on the Sussex Tech High School baseball team and is regarded as one of the Ravens’ top players.

After graduation, he’ll attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and play baseball for a Division I program. He still has the scars from the accident, but Graham has refused to let it affect his dream of playing the sport he loves.

“As I got older, I realized this is kind of fuel for my journey and wherever life takes me,” Graham said. “That (accident) started the journey. I always knew I could do this. It’s been quite a ride, and I talk about it with people not because I want sympathy, but because I want to inspire somebody else.”

A life-changing event

On the day of the accident, Graham and his 1-year-old sister were staying with their grandparents as Stephanie Graham and her husband continued to settle in after the recent move.

While they were playing on the porch, Graham’s grandmother briefly left the area to attend to his infant sister. Having the thought he shouldn’t be alone, the 3-year-old spotted his grandfather in the yard and quickly made an attempt to signal his elder.

His grandfather was on a riding lawn-mower, cutting a part of the yard that slopes, forcing him to move forward and then throw the machine in reverse.

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Once he made it, Graham began to tap on his grandfather’s shoulder the minute he threw the lawn-mower in reverse. The 3-year-old became lodged under the machine and emerged soaked in blood.

He'd recover, but Graham was in for a long, unpredictable journey. 

“I’m still functional and can do pretty much anything any other kid can do,” he said. “From the start, I’ve always wanted to be thought of as a normal kid. I don’t want to be thought of as disabled or having issues with doing anything anybody else can do.”

But the path back to a normal lifestyle took time, and it was something Graham and his entire family would have to work for to achieve.

To make up for the skin he had lost, Graham went through skin grafting, a surgery involving the transplantation of skin.

He spent nearly six weeks in the hospital with his mother by his side. During that time, the two established an extremely tight bond that has carried on to this day.

“We’re so close, and we can almost complete each other’s sentences,” Stephanie Graham said. “We’re so compatible, and I’m so grateful for that. There were no distractions – it was all about caring for him, being there for him and making sure he knew we were there to support him.”

No holding back

Once his wounds healed, Graham was ready to return to a normal childhood.

He asked his parents if he could participate in T-ball the spring after his accident. After everything he'd gone through, Graham finally felt happiness and joy playing a version of the sport he’d eventually take to college.

As a right-handed athlete, Graham’s injuries never really affected his performance. His left hand was covered by his glove, and over time, he was able to master swinging a bat without his left pinkie.

Though it rarely happened, Graham was told his accident may hold him back from a long career in baseball. But he always kept the belief that he could do anything with hard work and determination.

Graham’s parents also encouraged their son, saying “you’re going to be exactly what you were meant to be even before this happened. You’re not a victim, and we won’t allow you to say, ‘I can’t.’ ”

“He was so accepting of everything,” Stephanie Graham said. “It’s crazy how he just molded through it and was never angry. He’s a total inspiration to all of us.”

The accident continues to serve as motivation, with Graham wanting to prove his doubters wrong and show he can take the diamond with the best ballplayers in the region. 

As he progressed, Graham played travel ball, participated in summer leagues and eventually made his way onto the Sussex Tech varsity team as a freshman. A multi-position athlete, Graham primarily sets up in the infield, but also has put in a lot of time on the mound.

Last season, Graham helped his team to an appearance in the state tournament, and he has high hopes for the upcoming year. Sussex Tech is scheduled to start its season March 22 on the road against Cape Henlopen.

Playing in his final high school season, the senior looks to leave a lasting mark and continue to elevate his game before making the transition to the college level.

“We’ve got a good team, and we have all the pieces, so it’s just going to be about putting them together,” Graham said. “It’s going to be a good season. I don’t want to wish college on me too fast when I have a couple of months left to play and represent Sussex Tech.”

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Achieving the impossible

When he joins UMES, Graham will go in as one of several local players who have been recruited by head coach Brian Hollamon.

Since taking the role in August 2017, Hollamon has looked to the local scene in helping rebuild a struggling program. On the current Hawks’ roster, nine members played high school baseball on Delmarva.

Graham said the decision to play at UMES was based on the initial feeling he received when first visiting the university. The Sussex Tech athlete felt at home and believed in the vision the Hawks’ head coach had for the program.

“I had other opportunities, but I wanted to go to a program that may not be as good right now, but by the time I’m gone, I can leave it better than the way I found it,” Graham said. “It’s definitely the place I need to be.”

In efforts to prepare for college, Graham also works out at The Athlete Academy in Salisbury, run by Cody Revel. The academy offers athletes an opportunity to train, lift weights and improve their skills, regardless of their age. 

Working with Graham for nearly two years, Revel said he only knew about the athlete’s childhood injury from living in the same town. When he’s at the academy, he’s working harder than anyone else and has been regarded as a leader to some of the younger athletes. Revel said.

“He’s never used (the injury) as an excuse, and that’s awesome,” Revel said. “A lot of athletes look up to him. They see how hard he works even with what some people would call an inconvenience. For him, I think it’s a reason to have a chip on his shoulder.”

Graham has always wanted his accident to inspire others, once meeting a younger athlete who lost the thumb on his dominant hand in a similar lawn-mower accident.

The two baseball players have adapted the term “nine-finger dingers” when referring to home runs, and Graham hopes his achievements motivate others to never give up and fight to accomplish what so many think is impossible.

“It’s really cool to be able to connect with someone else,” Graham said.

'I'm going to show the world I can do this' 

Living with the ramifications of his injury for nearly his entire life, Graham said he was forced to grow up early and deal with issues many teenagers never imagine.

He doesn’t regret what happened, believing his path was meant to be and led him to become the person and athlete he is today.

After the accident, Graham and his family never allowed his injuries to dictate his life or decide what he could and could not do. Having established a great relationship with her son and seeing the strength he possesses, Stephanie Graham will forever be thankful for the positives that surfaced with the incident.

“Some people want a reason for why things happen, and we’ve really had the attitude, ‘What is this trying to teach us?’ " Stephanie Graham said. “It’s taught us more than we all could think that we have been taught. We’re sorry for the journey, hate the pain he physically had to go through, but he wouldn’t be who he is today without it.”

When he takes the field or steps up to the plate, Graham is no different than any other baseball player.

He may have one less finger and an arm that serves as a reminder of the one day his life changed, but his ability to overcome obstacles and accomplish his dreams is what makes the Sussex Tech athlete stand out from the rest.

“I’m going to show the world I can do this,” he said. “I’m super excited to show everybody that I beat this.”

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