"The neurologist told his parents he would be blind, deaf and profoundly retarded and never walk, talk, smile or even know them," said Elaine Edgerton, his adoption mother.

Edgerton adopted Justin when he was six weeks old. Because of a cytomegalovirus infection before birth that effected his brain, a neurologist had advised Justin's birth mother who was interning to become a medical doctor that she wouldn't be able to care for him.

However, Elaine, a retired special education teacher, didn't give up on

Justin, hiring a physical therapist to help. Elaine kept up a rigorous exercise schedule that included a full range of exercises every couple of hours.

Today, Justin is a sophomore at Durham High School, where he attends regular academic classes and is on grade level, although Elaine said she hasn't seen his report card for this semester.

"I'm getting 'A's and 'B's thank-you very much," Justin said.

Justin's favorite subjects are world history and geometry, but he is also on the swim team and runs track, activities he couldn't perform until this year.

In November 2005, he underwent surgery on his leg so he could fully extend it. Before, his leg was retracted and he had to walk on his toes. Since the surgery, Justin can run track and ride a bicycle.

But, it has been a long journey. Elaine remembers how hard he worked to learn to walk.

"He has one of the most determined personalities that I have ever known," Elaine said.

At age three, Justin was getting around in a walker, but he wanted to walk like other kids. He would pull himself up with the walker and stand against a wall. Then, he would take off and walk as far as he could before he collapsed. Then, Justin would crawl back to the wall, pull himself up again and walk as far as he could again.

"He would keep it up until I had to pick him up and rock him to calm him down," Elaine said.

Justin also had intensive speech therapy, with Elaine taking him to Chico State for extra speech therapy. His speech is good in one-to-one communication. At first, some of Justin's words are difficult to understand, but after talking to him for an hour, you start to understand him.

He has a hearing aid, and he also reads lips to process what other people are saying.

Justin's determination helped with his recovery after the surgery to extend his leg. The therapists were surprised by how hard Justin worked during physical therapy.

"He always pushes himself to the limit," Elaine said.

Elaine has always encouraged Justin to excel. For many years, she was told that he was in the 90th percentile in his classes. Then, she learned they were comparing him to deaf students and students with disabilities, and he was actually two to three grade levels behind in some academic areas.

"But, Jason wanted to go to college like his parents," Elaine said, "and he couldn't do that if he read at a fourth grade level."

Elaine worked with the schools to bring Jason up to grade level, and he was integrated into regular classes at Durham High School as a freshman. Now a sophomore, Jason is taking college prep classes.

"He has learned so much being in the school and integrated with the other students," Elaine said.

Justin stays in contact with his birth parents and family, visiting on school breaks, as his is an open adoption. Elaine attributes his development in part to good genetics. His father has a Ph.D. in psychology, and his mother is a medical doctor.

"I come from a smart family," Justin said.

Justin said he met the neurologist who diagnosed him at birth. He was visiting his birth parents in San Diego, and the family went to an amusement park.

The doctor recognized Justin's mother and came up to her and said, "You're the woman who had the baby with CMV." He asked about Justin, and she said he was at the park.

Justin said the doctor watched him riding on the rides in the amusement park and running around, and just said, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."

Justin said the doctor attributed his development to all the physical therapy, exercises and speech therapy that his adopted mother gave him.

"Where would I be without her?" Justin asked. "I would be in a wheel chair like this," he said, slumping over sideways and closing his eyes and opening his mouth.

Justin keeps in contact with his friends by text messaging and e-mail. He learned to ride a bicycle this Christmas. Before his surgery, he couldn't ride, as his leg wouldn't extend far enough.

"I like to swim and run and watch T.V," Justin said, when asked what he does for fun. "Did I mention video and computer games?" he asked smiling.

When asked what his philosophy is about life, he said he was the wrong person to ask about that. After thinking a bit, he said he thought being positive and being yourself was very important.

"When you feel depressed, think of something happy like a memory, and be thankful for what you have like your family, your friends or even a girlfriend if you have one," Justin said, grinning.

After thinking about it, Justin had more to say.

"In life, there's always bad things that happen, so be prepared for anything. Just face your fears and keep on going like the Energizer bunny," he said smiling.

Since 1963, Student Ambassador Programs has taken thousands of young Americans across international borders. Venturing abroad or on our own continent, Student Ambassadors return home with a greater sense of what it means to be a good neighbor and a global citizen, according to the People to People Web site.

Justin hopes to participate in the program this summer, but they also have to pay the expenses of a sign language interpreter, and donations could help. Justin has an interpreter from school willing to accompany him, Rebecca Jones.

Elaine recalled what the neurologist had told her when she adopted Justin at six weeks. He said only two percent of people who contact CMV have vision. However, it was obvious Justin could see.

However, the doctor showed her an MRI of Justin's brain. It showed holes in every sphere of the brain. The neurologist said there's a hole in the middle of the speech and language center so he can't talk. Also the doctor said Justin wouldn't be able to walk and would be paraplegic.

"Then he pulled out a crystal ball and put it in my hand and said, 'This is how much we really know about the brain,'" Elaine said.

Elaine also adopted two other children with disabilities after raising her family and after her husband passed away. Justin has shown that you can't always predict how a disability will affect a child's development.

"It's been an amazing journey with him," Elaine said.

Donations to pay for a sign language interpreter for Justin can be sent or taken to Washington Mutual Bank, 2001 Oro Dam Blvd. East, Oroville California, 95966. Donations should be addressed to Justin Klein-Edgerton.