by Joseph Kelley

Created on: November 18, 2008

If you have ever looked at a nervous mouse locked in a cage, then you know what it is like to look at Timothy Shank. Shy yet curious. An introvert with extroverted tendencies. He is perplexing, thought provoking, humorous. When he starts to formulate what he is going to say there is a slight pause, one of deep thought, where no sound is heard or conversed but that of your own breath. When he speaks, you are hanging off of every word; he speaks in a pleasant tone, not too fast and not too slow. However, that is not what makes Mr. Shank unique. Sure his 150 Intelligence Quotient is something to be impressed of and his current enrollment in the aerospace engineering program at Rochester Institute of Technology is something to be admired and respected. What makes him unique is his ability to take control of his physical disabilities.

When Timothy Shank was 10 years old he was involved in a tragic accident that resulted in the loss of both his legs. A car crash that had pinned his legs so hard it almost cut halfway into his bone. Unfortunately the car had been tossed off the snow covered road and into the woods. It took 3 hours for their car to be found. Both of the drivers, an aunt and an uncle were DOA and Tim was in critical condition. Transtibial amputation is the name of the procedure he had to undergo. It involves removal of the legs below the knee cap, and in this case it was because of blood vessel poisoning that affected both his left and right legs.
"Those were rough times," Tim recalled "In and out of therapy and different hospitals were not even the hard part [] constantly meeting different people and not keeping any steady friends was probably the toughest. It was not until much later halfway through high school I finally started to make friends. Thankfully my friends and family will always be there to support me and help me with anything I try to do."
"My family always supported me in my struggle, they got me involved in after school activities, chess club, drama, and band was some of my favorites. Unfortunately Dance Dance Revolution club was not an option" he said with a small chuckle to himself. For someone who was very skittish he seemed confident in what he had to say. His eyes, for the most part stayed locked on yours, however occasionally you could catch him darting his eyes to some distant corner of the room. "I feel awkward sometimes, I feel like everyone's responsibility. If something happens like my wheelchair falls over, everyone will be worried

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