May 22, 2011, began for many people as an ordinary Sunday, but around 4:30 p.m. in Joplin, Mo., the day took a turn for the worst. Storm clouds rolled in, and a horrible storm soon arrived. At the center of it was a mile-wide EF5 rated tornado, ripping apart all the structures in its path. There were 158 fatalities and 1,000 injuries from the tornado, making it the deadliest tornado to strike America since 1947. Freshman Quinton Anderson had a personal story to tell about the event. He was a Joplin resident, and his home was located directly in "the path of the storm. When the storm hit, he and his parents were at home. His life would never be the same after that storm. "I looked up to the left where my parents' roof should have been, and I saw sky," Anderson said. He said that he then realized that the storm was a lot worse that he previously thought. The tornado reached the house, and he was knocked unconscious, not to awaken for three weeks. When he was found, he was in bad condition. His heart stopped beating in the helicopter on the way to the hospital, and he had to be resuscitated. Anderson's friends were informed that he and his parents were among the fatalities. The news was heartbreaking to the many friends and family he had in the area; however, the report was false. The hospital incorrectly identified him, so no one knew where he was. His sister found him three weeks later when he woke up long enough to tell the medical personnel his real name. Anderson's attitude during the recovery and his passionate drive to recover amazed everybody. His lower back was broken in the storm, and it was predicted that the injury would be severely limiting. "The doctors told him he would never walk again, and he told them, 'I will walk,"' freshman Kendace Patterson, a close friend of Anderson's, said. Anderson's determination won out. In fact, less than a year after the storm, he recovered enough to participate in athletic events again. The most remarkable recovery by Anderson was his spiritual recovery. He spent his time alone in the hospital looking to the sky, thanking God for keeping him alive. Anderson lost both of his parents to the tornado and was severely injured, yet he was able to continue thanking God through all of it in an indescribable act of faith that even he said he did not fully understand. His friends said he was a relatively normal high school kid before the storm. He was popular and athletic and seemed to have everything he could ever want. After the storm, he became a spiritual powerhouse, one of the greatest inspirations his friends had ever seen. He began to step up as a leader in the church. He constantly encouraged his friends to make time for God even if they did not feel like it. He devoted himself to the study of the Bible. In all of this, he remained completely humble, always giving thanks to God for everything. In every way, Anderson was a different man after the storm. As a freshman, Anderson was ready to tell his story to as many people as possible, and many people were glad to help. Two film companies also approached Anderson wanting to make movies about his experiences in high school around the time of the tornado, such as his participation in the football team. Additionally, he joined TNT social club, hoping that through them he would be able to tell his story. He also wanted to speak in chapel and to tell everyone on campus his testimony. "I hope my story can show people that even if you think it's horrible what you're facing, that there's a way to take that step and keep moving forward," Anderson said. One of the people most amazed by Anderson was his friend freshman Kendal Rogers. She did not know him well before the storm, but seeing his improvement and his spiritual growth in the aftermath amazed her along with everyone else. She claimed that he was her hero. "He makes everybody better as a person," Rogers said. Anderson's story and his extraordinary recovery inspired many people as he showed just how powerful God could be in even the most painful situations. Rogers said it best when she said he had the "strongest broken heart." KoryHoward Freshmen 1181
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