After brain tumor and crash, Pender County teen presses on toward her dreams

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Aniya Moore, an 18-year-old recent Pender High School graduate, is recovering after a serious car crash less than a mile from her home, two months after she graduated high school.

Moore spent years cheering on her classmates at Pender High from the sidelines. As she prepared for college, she said she was ready to step into her own future.

“I was looking forward to orientation at my college, moving in,” Moore said.

Moore’s mother, Bernadine Munn, had her own reaction when Moore walked across the graduation stage.

“I was probably happier than she was,” Munn said.

At 14- years-old, doctors found a tumor in Moore’s brain. Munn described the tumor as larger than a golf ball but smaller than a softball. Moore received cancer care in Chapel Hill and at The Johns Hopkins.

Moore underwent surgery and spent over a month in the hospital relearning basic motor skills.

“She had to learn how to walk, talk, swallow; she had a feeding tube, everything all over,” Munn said.

Moore set her sights on attending Fayetteville State University to become a nurse.

“The nurses there were so nice to me and uplifting me in a much difficult time. And I want to share that with future generations,” Moore said.

Two months after graduation, Moore was involved in a serious crash less than a mile from her home. Her car left the road, crossed a ditch and hit a tree.

Moore’s smartwatch and Life360 app notified Munn, who went to the scene.

“I got in there, and I was calling on her and hitting on her, and she said Mommy, and I could breathe again, and I said thank you God, and I just started praying,” Munn said.

The crash left Moore with two broken legs, a severely injured arm and extensive internal injuries. She spent another month in the hospital and is now back home.

“The past few days my arm has been so bad I can’t even sleep right, I will wake up crying unless I sleep in a certain position,” Moore said.

The day Moore started rehab in the hospital was the day she had originally planned to move into college, according to the report.

Moore plans to walk again and start college classes by January. She hopes to someday become a pediatric oncologist.

“There is a light at the end of the rainbow, just keep looking, it’s there,” Munn said.

“Keep your head up when you go through hardship, you will be okay,” Moore said.

Moore’s family has a GoFundMe for those who would like to help with medical expenses.