MEDAL OF COURAGE Adam was a 10-year old boy halfway through the 5th grade when he started getting sick. It was January of 1999 and he was in his second year of participating in the Charleston Kid's Club wrestling program. It started with a stomachache that lasted a couple of days. Adam was taken to a doctor where he was treated for an impacted bowel and sent home. After a few days Adam became ill again "” this time he was unable to keep anything in his stomach. After several more traumatic visits to the hospital, Adam was ultimately scheduled for a CT scan. The CT scan revealed what the doctor described as a herniated bowel. An operation was scheduled that very day to remove the damaged bowel section and to reconnect the remaining bowel. About ninety minutes into the surgery the surgeon discovered a malignant tumor about the size of a golf ball growing in Adam's bowel. The tumor was carefully removed and Adam's bowel was reconnected. The next step in the process required a trip to St. Louis Children's Hospital for further treatment. In St. Louis additional surgeries were performed to place a catheter in his chest, to aspirate some bone marrow and finally to perform a spinal tap. By the end of the week Adam was prepared for the first of a long series of chemotherapy sessions "” every Wednesday for fourteen weeks Adam received a chemotherapy treatment. Declared cancer free in April 1999, Adam would return every six weeks for the next year for checkups; after that check-ups would progress to every three months. Finally, in November 2004 Adam was given his complete release. Although Adam was faced with the trauma of going periodically for routine check-ups, he continued to maintain a great attitude and was always upbeat. He pursued an active life "” playing in the band and participating in the Junior Football League, wrestling in the Kid's Club and playing baseball. As Adam entered Junior High he continued expanding his activities. He once again participated in football and wrestling, but also took up piano lessons, served on the Student Council and made the Honor Roll every semester. As a high school freshman Adam participated in football, varsity wrestling and tennis. It was at this time that he decided that he wanted to attend the Air Force Academy and become a pilot in the United States Air Force. He became a Young Eagle and joined the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter. He also joined the Civil Air Patrol at the local airport. Yet Adam still found the time to get involved with his high school peer court and volunteer at Camp New Hope "” a camp for the developmentally disabled. As the summer approached Adam's activities did not diminish. He served as a Camp Rainbow counselor "” a weeklong endeavor benefiting seriously ill children. Additionally, he attended a wrestling camp at the Air Force Academy and capped his summer by participating in an EAA Aviation Academy in Osh Kosh, WI. Working hard through his sophomore year Adam continued his participation in athletics "” earning varsity letters in both football and wrestling. In addition to serving on the school's student peer court, Adam was also elected to the Student Council as vice-President, served as a delegate to the State Student Council convention and was a member of Charleston High School's volunteer Service Learning group. Additionally, Adam was also chosen as a D.A.R.E. role model to speak to 5th and 6th graders about staying off drugs. At the end of his sophomore year Adam was granted a Train-A-Pilot scholarship that covered his expenses for acquiring a private license. In June Adam again volunteered as a Camp Rainbow counselor. Individuals handle adversity in a variety of ways "” not all of them positive. In Adam's case he has shaped his battle with cancer into a positive tool. Carpe diem may best describe his outlook "” life is not to be taken for granted. The self-confidence he exudes, the upbeat outlook he demonstrates serves as an inspiration to many. He best sums up his perspective by quoting the 19th-century Populist, William Jennings Bryan "”Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for, but rather something to be achieved.