‘I can’ attitude helps Fostoria native

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Shane Parsons says he hates the words "I can't," and they're not in his vocabulary.

"(I want to tell) all the young kids in high school and junior high and preschool that there's no such thing as 'I can't' and 'no,'" he said. "There's no such things as 'I can't do this,' and 'I can't do that.'"

Shane said young people should realize if they find something they want to do, they should go for it and not quit.

The 23-year-old has done just that.

Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the day Shane, a Fostoria native, was injured during a mission in Iraq.

Sept. 30, 2006, he was driving the lead Humvee for the mission when he and his gunner were hit by a group of explosives. Shane had a head injury and lost both legs above his knees. He first spent time in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany before returning to the U.S., according to his Web site.

Shane was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and now is an outpatient at Brooke Army Medical Center and Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas.

Reflecting on the two-year anniversary of Shane's injury, Cindy Parsons, Shane's mother, said she can't erase the phone call from her mind.

"When I look back, I think back when I first got that phone call. It's still like yesterday," she said during a telephone interview. "I look back at far he's come along."

Cindy said she is amazed by Shane.

She said he is a strong individual who pulls himself up when he has a day when he is down emotionally. She said she tries to look to the future and knows she is blessed.

"Shane is a miracle, as well as the other soldiers. They're walking miracles; they're talking miracles," she said. "I just thank God that we have Shane, and he survived. When I look at him, I don't see the disability or the wheelchair. I just see my son. He has so much potential."

Cindy said Shane starts therapy at 8 a.m. every day, has an hour for lunch and is finished around 4 p.m. She said her son is standing on his prosthetic legs and walking several feet at a time.

"He still has a hard time with the prosthetics because he's very high up," she said. "The higher the amputee, the harder it is for them to walk with prosthetics. It's just difficult."

Shane said he's had a slight problem with his prosthetic fitting, but other than that, everything is going well. He said he is focusing on his recovery instead of worrying about other things and is exercising more to get in better shape.

"Right now, my main goal is the walking, and it's come along very well," he said.

Shane also gets rehabilitation for his traumatic brain injury, and therapists work with him on a daily basis, Cindy said.

"That's going good. He's come quite a ways. His memory, of course, he's had to relearn everything," she said. "He's come a long way."

Cindy said Shane's rehabilitation program includes him working to get integrated back into society.

He went to Sea World with other amputees and soldiers and got to water ski, and he is working on learning how to use public transportation, such as using bus stops, she said.

Cindy said Shane is volunteering every Monday at Animal Defense League by walking dogs and giving them attention. Shane said volunteering at the shelter is one of his favorite activities.

"We had some of the hurricane rescue dogs come in, and they were vaccinated. We washed them and gave them a shot, stuff like that, walked them," he said.

Cindy said it is important for everyone to continue to support soldiers. Shane is on the San Antonio Sled Rampage team for disabled soldiers, and the pair participated in a biking, walking and running event in San Antonio hosted in memory of soldiers who have died in the war.

Cindy and Shane also are involved in production of a podcast for "Partners Against Pain" to explain how the military deals with acute and chronic pain.

They also have watched a memorial about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"Those memories flooded back in to both of us," she said. "That's something you can't ever forget. ... Watching it, it horrifies us, that people can be so evil."

Shane enlisted because of the attacks on the U.S.

"He was telling me, 'I'd do it all over again, Mom,'" she said.

Shane keeps in contact with Fostorians and expressed his thanks for the city's fire and police forces.

Shane -- who was a nose guard on Fostoria High School's football team -- said he is proud of his alma mater's football team and St. Wendelin High School's team.

"It's good that (Fostoria) Coach (Tom) Grine and a lot of the other kids are stepping up and trying to make it really well," he said. "It's very nice to know that."

Shane said he wants to come home and watch a football game, but Cindy said he isn't able to take trips.

"There's always next time," she said.

Cindy said she and Shane are not sure when they'll return to their Fostoria home to stay, although it could be within the next several months.

"That's going to be a very scary time for both of us," she said.

Cindy said even though they miss home, it will be scary to deal with a new future.

"We just don't know when," she said. "We don't have any kind of dates yet."

Cindy said her son will retire and get out of the U.S. Army. Shane will continue getting rehabilitation and medical care for his prosthetics through Veterans Affairs, she said.

Shane said he's proud of the progress he's made so far with a lot of encouragement from his mom, family and friends. Organizations still want to donate, help and volunteer. He said he wants people to know he's grateful, and he thanks people for giving him the strength he has needed.

"Thank you very much for everybody supporting me and not giving up on me," he said.

On the Web:

Shane Parsons:

www.caringbridge.org/visit/shaneparsons