A dream realized

As Shanon Cunningham made his way to the stage Monday night to accept his diploma at Houston Jr./Sr. High School, his mother, Vanessa, led the standing ovation. As at a typical graduation, there were the screams of support from family members as each name was read Monday. But when Shanon's name was called, the entire gymnasium -- students, parents, friends -- took to their feet for a rousing ovation.

Four years ago, Vanessa and Shanon never could have imagined how the scene played out. It was four years ago -- on Jan. 27, 1999 -- Vanessa got the call every parent hopes never comes -- Shanon skipped school and was in a head-on collision at Mile 88.5 Parks Hwy. The Subaru Shanon was a passenger in was so badly mangled emergency rescue personnel didn't even realize Shanon was in the vehicle.

For the next four months, Shanon lay motionless in a coma as his mother and family pondered what to do next. The doctors told Vanessa that the good-looking, athletic young boy would never walk again, that's for sure. And he'll never be able to learn again, without a doubt, they said -- the brain injuries he sustained were far too bad for that. For the next four years, with each step Shanon took, doctor's warned him and Vanessa not to be too optimistic.

Don't fault Shanon for not taking those doctor's advice and learning to live with a disability. It's just not in his blood to take something like that. Instead, he decided it was his life, and graduating from high school on the honor roll was just another in a large series of accomplishments Shanon never was supposed to be able to accomplish.

"That was the highlight of my high school career," Shanon said of the ovation. His sense of humor is coming back, too. In what is a big understatement, Shanon said "high school for me got off to a rough start, but the end was wonderful."

Waking up

"You have to learn your hands, your eyes, your toes -- things you start with with your baby," Vanessa said about Shanon waking up from his coma four months after the accident. "The best way to deal with Shanon, we were told, was convalescent care. I was told I needed to get my life back in order, that I needed to move on. That's my son, though. You don't just get your life back in order and move on."

Following the accident, Shanon was taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he stayed for three months. Then he was transferred to the Children's Hospital in Seattle, where he spent another three months. The accident left Shanon with injuries to nearly every organ and tissue in his body, but it was his brain the doctors were worried about. Doctors were understandably cautious with giving Shanon a long-term prognosis, but it wasn't good. Shanon still was feeding through a tube, and numerous surgeries still had to be performed, including on his tongue, just so he could talk.

"We were losing him on a steady basis," Vanessa recalls.

Slowly, Shanon made progress. After each surgery, he got better and better. Now, he walks with a cane, but his wheelchair is covered with a tarp in the shed. His speech is a bit slower, but it is clear and understandable. His life is slowly getting back to normal.

The road to Houston

Shanon missed two years of school after a series of moves. In Anchorage, he was trying the school at home approach, through the assistance of an aide from the school district there. That didn't work out. Then it was off to Seward, where, again, his disability was too tough for school officials to deal with, and he was withdrawn from school there.

Then, he enrolled at Houston Jr./Sr. High School. Before the accident, he lived in Talkeetna, so it was a homecoming of sorts. A few years later, Shanon looks back on the move and realizes it was the best thing that ever happened to him. Prior to the accident, Shanon had a grade-point average of around 1.8 and dreaded going to school. He carried a 3.5 grade-point average into graduation and said he looked forward to going to school every day following the accident.

"I have a passion for learning now," Shanon said. "I was a jock before the accident. I loved to play hockey. That was my passion and it was taken away from me. Now, learning is my passion.

"Before, I didn't like school. I just went because I had to, and did just what I had to do to pass. I didn't have time for school then," Shanon said. "But since I've been at Houston, I've been adamant about going to school and having good attendance and learning."

He credits two women in the special education department -- Rebecca Kulbaga and Susan Protzman -- for helping him make the transition from average student to good student, despite a brain injury.

"They are wonderful ladies. You won't find better women than them," Shanon said.

Inspiration

Shanon had reason enough to want to graduate from high school, but news about his father gave him another. While recovering from his own life-threatening injuries, Shanon was told his dad, Bob Cunningham, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. He had to graduate now, just to make his dad even more proud of him.

"He's my best friend. I love him more than I love life itself," Shanon said. "I don't want to be working at Mickey D's on minimum wage for the rest of my life, so I did this [graduated high school] for me. But I also did it for him."

Last Monday, Bob Cunningham's son graduated.

Graduation day

With friends and family in attendance, Shanon accepted his diploma Monday night in an emotional ceremony for everyone. School administrators also presented him with the Presidential Educational Excellence Award, and the certificate is signed by President George W. Bush. A congratulatory certificate from the Alaska Legislature was also given to Shanon with his diploma. All the way to the White House, it seems, people have been rooting for Shanon to succeed.

Family and friends gathered at Vanessa's Blodgett Lake home for a reception. Spread out on the picnic table were the awards, the certificates, the diploma. Inside the house, and fresh inside Vanessa's mind, are the pictures of Shanon laying lifeless on a hospital bed four years ago, clinging to life with every breath he took. What a difference a positive outlook and four years can make.

The future

Living every day with a brain injury is a challenge for Shanon, but one he's ready for.

"Self pity is a battle I have to fight all the time, but I know self pity will get you nowhere," he said. "The only one who can do things for me is me."

Shanon is still in therapy for his disability, but it doesn't define him anymore.

"We're starting to get the old Shanon back again," Vanessa said with a smile. "The old Shanon is starting to come through. It's good to see that."

One thing he isn't about to do is give up learning. His "new passion" won't end with high school.

He said he wants to take general college courses in math, science and English at Mat-Su College, and see where his higher education goes from there.

With every success Shanon has enjoyed, there is a new challenge facing him -- and Shanon clearly likes conquering those challenges.