At age fourteen I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma which led to nearly two years in a hospital, chemotherapy and six surgical operations, including the amputation of my left leg above the knee.
The decision to have my leg amputated was one of three choices that I had to make for myself. I chose amputation because I felt that it would allow me to continue the most active life style, even though I was told that I would never be able to do most of the things I loved most with an artificial leg. I knew in my heart that I could do anything I set my mind to, and even at that time I told myself that if the technology available was not sufficient for my needs, I would build my own.
Before the cancer was found I had spent most of my time building things and creating new contraptions of one kind of another. My Christmas and birthday gifts included bench grinders and a forge among other tools and supplies which I used to make swords, cross-bows and other contraptions that kids didn't have redly available to them.
I was part nerd, part mad scientist and slightly athletic until the last year before the cancer was found. Around this time I began to take a heavy interest in outdoor sports such as mountain biking and snowboarding, and had become fairly good at tennis...