Amazing Graeme (From Warrington Guardian)

Amazing Graeme

A 22-YEAR-OLD autistic man, who is unable to speak, has astonished his family and friends after he was nominated to receive a Millennium Volunteer of the Year Award.

Graeme Fallon, from Padgate, is autistic, suffers from epilepsy and is unable to communicate verbally, yet for the past two years he has made astonishing progress with his involvement in a number of volunteer projects.

He has helped to complete conservation projects without missing a single session and was involved with the British Trust Conservation Volunteers project, the Walton Gardens Zoo project and Rixton Clay Pits environment day.

Other volunteers say he is extremely reliable and committed, willing to 'get stuck in' and a great team worker despite his inability to speak.

Mike Payne, was Graeme's support worker for two years and was instrumental in him becoming involved with the Millennium Volunteers Project.

Although he no longer works with Graeme he still keeps in regular contact, saying: "When Graeme left college we wanted to get him involved with something equally challenging, he had to be brought back into the community with something that would give him some structure. We just took it day by day and very slowly and he has made massive progress.

"Graeme took a little piece of my heart and that's why I still keep in touch with him. He is an amazing character and he expresses himself in such a loving way - he is full of hugs and laughs. He communicates with a basic form of sign language and with his wonderful facial expressions. He has come such a long way. I am over the moon that he has won this award and he is a real inspiration to others."