Paper: STAR, THE - Orland Park and Orland Hills (IL) Title: She keeps going, and going, and going Date: May 31, 2007 She has the spirit of the Energizer Bunny. She keeps going and going and going. Jessica Castillo, 15, of unincorporated Orland Park, has faced substantial obstacles in life, but hasn't let it slow her down. At 6-years-old, Jessica lost her right hand and forearm in a car accident. She had to re-learn everyday tasks with her left hand. Now, she is one of 100 semi-finalists in the national Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame. Jessica's determination since the accident fits the inspirational recoveries the contest looks for in showing unstoppable spirit. Jessica said she vaguely remembers the accident, but nine years later still deals with its effects. "I remember being in the car with the baby-sitter and the window was not all the way down. I used to stick my hand out like my grandma used to," Jessica said. Her side of the car collided with a garbage truck. "I remember people staring at me," she said. "I remember broken glass." Her mom rushed from her job in Palatine to Jessica and her siblings at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. "They told me two of my children were fine, but Jessica was in stable condition," her mom, Maryellen Godinez, said. At the hospital, she learned Jessica had lost her right hand and part of her forearm.

"I think I was in such shock that the first thing out of my mouth was 'you're not going to get out of cleaning your room,' " Godinez said. "I'm not going to allow her to not be able to do anything." Now, Jessica says she can't think of anything she's unable to do. "I remember trying to button my pants was hard with one hand," she said. "I used to not be able to put my hair up. Last year I couldn't. But I worked at it and got it." She ties her shoes and changes diapers when she baby-sits. "I take photos with a professional camera," Jessica said. "It's made for right-handers but I've figured it out." A freshman at Lockport Township High School, Jessica is captain of the school's soccer team. Basketball is one of her passions. She's played for several years now. "I've played all the positions, but mostly guard," Jessica said. Last year, her eighth grade basketball team took fourth in state. When she didn't make the final cut for Lockport's basketball team, Jessica joined a league in Joliet. Last summer, Jessica went white-water rafting. "It was really fun," she said. "They thought I wasn't able to hold onto the raft because most people use both hands, but I did it." Her perseverance has paid off socially as well.

Godinez said she has worried about her daughter acclimating to different environments because her family has relocated several times in recent years. "I've moved a lot but I make it clear that if people want to know what happened to ask me what happened and not talk about me behind my back," Jessica said. "I've earned respect and gained some from my peers." Some critics have told Jessica it would be easier to use prosthetics. She's tried in years since the accident but said the devices were heavy and uncomfortable. "They say be yourself, be yourself, and prosthetics don't make me feel comfortable," she said. She appreciates the contest's recognition for being herself. "It's a nice feeling," Jessica said. "I did achieve a lot of my goals. Some people think people with disabilities can't do everything and I can prove them wrong. We can do everything and some things we can even do better." Energizer will narrow semi-finalists down to 10 finalists and one winner will be selected through public vote at www.energizer.com/halloffame. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize as well as $5,000 donated to a charity of choice. "We all know people like this -- ordinary people with extraordinary stories and unstoppable energy," said Jeff Ziminski, vice president of North American and global marketing and chief marketing officer for Energizer. "We are excited to honor these unsung heroes through the Keep Going Hall of Fame."