Purple wave passes through for Jayde
A PURPLE wave passed through Lake Apex in remembrance of Jayde Kendall, three years on from the day she was last seen by her family or friends.
Precious memories of the much-loved teenager were at the forefront for the assembled group clad in her favourite colour as they walked around the lake before stopping for a moment of reflection at her memorial.
Her grandfather Denis Morrissey led the third annual Jayde Kendall Day of Awareness Walk on Tuesday and said it was a bittersweet moment for the family.
The day stirred up many memories of his granddaughter growing up into the “talented young girl” that had a profound impact on most people she came into contact with evident by the large group who gathered together to honour her.
But it also made him think of the many more years he should have been able to share with her that were lost forever.
They are striving to ensure a horrific tragedy like this never engulfs another family through promoting Jayde’s message of awareness.
“It’s not only just about the family this day, it’s also about our community,” Mr Morrissey said.
“We’re desperately wanting to get this message out to everybody to make a difference and also to try and ensure something like this never, ever happens again. Not in our community anyway.”
“The people of the Lockyer Valley, their support has been absolutely amazing.”
It urges the community, particularly young children and teenagers, to be aware of where they are, what they are doing, who they are with, the circumstances they could be placing themselves in and to always tell someone where they are going.
“Everybody thinks they’re bullet proof especially when you’re young and we always thought we were bullet proof too but in reality we’re not,” he said.
“If we can save just one person... then we’ve achieved what we we’ve set out to achieve. If we can help a lot of people that’d be great.”