incredible story. a teenager off the streets of memphis abandoned, homeless. with the help of a giving family he overcomes amazing odds and goes from homeless to being an nfl star. now his life is a hollywood movie. i have the honor to talk to baltimore ravens tackle michael orr an exclusive interview. it makes us stop and take a hard look at our own lives. plus, a dying 6-year-old girl suffering from a rare form of brain cancer. she had only 135 days to live and soon after she died, her family started finding love notes that she left for them, hundreds of them, letters hidden in book shelves, the china cabinet. her legacy, a story of courage. a special edition of "prime news" starts right now. welcome once again. i'm mike galanos. this is a "prime news" special edition, unforgettable stories. who could forget? a u.a urs airways plane land in the hudson river. the flight took off from laguardia and less than a minute later the pilot reported a double bird strike and said he needed to return to the airport. but we now know he didn't get that chance. listen to captain chesley sullenberger's conversation back then with air traffic control. >> flight 1529, couldn't get it for you. do you want to land runway 13. >> we may end up in the hudson. >> less traffic to 3 p 1. turn right 280, you can land at teterboro. >> we can't do it. >> which runway would you like? >> we're going to be in the hudson. >> i'm sorry. say again? >> unbelievable. earlier i had a chance to talk with chesley "sully" sullenberger. we still as a nation revel in that story. i know you may be a little uncomfortable with the hero label but let's revel in it again. as you hear that, what goes through your mind? because we all think of the panic that would be rushing through our mind and hearts. what was going on in your mind and heart as you're thinking and saying, we're going in the hudson? >> well, michael, great to be with you. it was a shocking moment. you know, for 42 years my flights have been more or less routine. but in a few seconds it was apparent to me and my first officer jeffrey skiles this was going to be something completely different. this would be the most challenging, the most dire emergency of my life. >> did you ever have that moment of panic? >> well, we were certainly startled. it caught our attention. it remind me of a quote from the space program where astronaut john young was asked before a launch of -- i think it was the first space shuttle flight, are you ever concerned, are you ever worried? he said if you aren't at least concerned you don't understand the situation. jeff and i understood the situation, the gravity of it and were concerned. >> what was your greatest continental airlines arena for your passengers? this is after -- you tell everybody brace for landing. it's a successful landing, we can agree on that. immediately after that, what goes on? concern for people and water and cold and everything else. >> well, initially, as soon as we landed and we saw the first and the biggest problem of the day and the airplane was obviously intact and floating, i thought at that point that everybody was still probably okay. jeff and i turned to each other and just for a second before we began the evacuation and we both said almost the same words almost in unison. well, that wasn't as bad as i thought. so there was that one brief human moment of a little bit of release of tension. and then of course we had to solve the rest of the problems of the day and evacuate the airplane. >> let me backtrack. what was impact like for you? because it's a surreal moment, i'm sure, where you're bracing to land on water. >> well, of course, jeff and i had never done that before. we didn't know quite frankly how well idaho be able to cushion the touchdown, trading forward motion for a reduced rate of descent. even though it wasn't as bad as it could have been, it was a hard jolt, even harder in the back of the airplane of course. >> how proud of your crew and passengers -- come on, it just seems like there's a feeling of we're going to get through this. >> there really was. i think that's evident certainly in retrospect when we hear all the stories of how cooperative people were. i mean, this was thrust upon all of us so quickly. we had 208 seconds from the time we hit the birds until we landed. then we had to quickly formulate a plan and then execute that plan. so i was very proud of all the crew. certainly jeffrey skiles. i say in my acknowledgements in the book he has my eternal gratitude for his skill and courage and the same for the three flight attendants, donna and sheila and doreen. the passengers were a seasoned group of mostly business travelers. they knew what needed to be done. there was a lot of cooperative behavior throughout the whole episode. >> sure seems like it. you put it in perspective when you say 208 seconds. i want to listen to one of your passengers talking about their feelings and appreciation for you. let's listen. >> i would say i don't know what the survival rate is of plane crashes but i can't imagine it's too high. then for everyone to get off that plane and no one -- no one dying, that was -- that pilot, as far as i'm concerned, probably saved us all. if you want to talk to a hero, get ahold of him because that's the hero in this whole deal. >> to hear that to this day, how do you take that hero label? >> well, you know, i very much appreciate those words that the passengers have for us. those are the words that clearly have meant the most to me and my crew, the words of gratitude from our passengers. but i still -- i feel the same way i did back in january, that, to me, my definition of a hero is someone who chooses to put him or herself at risk to save another. and that wasn't quite true for us. this was thrust upon us. now, my crew and i certainly did our jobs and we did them exceedingly well and we're grateful for such a good outcome. but i understand how people can feel that way but i don't quite take that hero mantle on as my own. >> we're going to take a quick break and i'm going to ask sully here about the other label, miracle. does he call it a miracle? we'll get his response after break. there is an heroic pilot who saved himself and approximately 154 other passengers this afternoon. we've had a miracle on 34th street. i believe now we've had a miracle on the hudson. >> governor david paterson dubbing it the miracle on the hudson. we're talking to the hero himself, captain sully sullenberger who landed that plane on the hudson. everybody made it out okay. you hear the term miracle. do you call this a miracle, sully? >> well, that certainly seems to be the name it has, just as the iconic image of the people standing on the wings of the airplane floating is the visual icon of this event. i think miracle on the hudson is how people think of it. we had a remarkably good day. circumstances were with us. and everybody did their jobs and we're just so grateful for such a good outcome. had it been less visibility, had we been at a lower altitude, it would have been much, much harder. >> well put. okay. let's get a call in. there's calls, facebook. folks want to chat with us. earl in iowa. earl, go ahead. your question here. >> caller: i was just wondering if the pilot had ever had any other emergency situations, maybe prepared him for this or if he ever thought about working with other pilots for training. >> okay. two questions in there. first one, sully, ever anything really rattle you in the cockpit? obviously nothing to this degree but a real scare for you prior to this? >> you know, in the military flying jet fighters at very low altitude and high speeds, had a couple of situations that were challenging. but nothing like this. this was clearly unparalleled in my experience. this was a once in a lifetime, not even that for most pilots kind of a situation. just really extraordinary. you know, we -- in our training, we face lots of situations. we prepare for lots of things. but never in the most demanding, exaggerated scenario would we have encompassed the entirety of these happening at such low altitude with such few options. >> you came into this as a safety expert. i'm sure that role has amped up to get pilots more prepared for the unthinkable, is that correct? >> this has been a lifelong passion for me, the safety part as well as the flying part. one of the things before this event of which i was most proud was my involvement starting about 25 years ago with -- in an effort to make all airline crews as effective as possible in the way of leading the team, having communication, decision-making, error management skills. that was an initiative that was very important to us and has made aviation much safer. i had some involvement in teaching that course when my airline first started doing it. >> your new book is out. again, congratulations on that, called "highest duty." >> thank you. >> i want to talk about you. my search for what really matters. here's a quote that struck me from you. and your father had battled depression. shooting himself in 1995 at the age of 78. just let me -- i know my viewers applaud you as well for making what is a tragedy to lose a parent like that, to turn it into a drive to make sure others are safe and that you're going to step in. has that been that drive since that time in '95? >> well, i told this very personal part of the story because it was an integral one to it. it's part of what made me who i am. and there were many events in my life and many people in my life who were important in preparing me not only for that event back in january but for all this attention in the aftermath. this one certainly is a big part of that. i learned much from my father. he was a man who grew up during the great depression of the 1930s, served as a naval officer in world war ii. his values were the values the generation that's been called the greatest generation. i think with good reason. >> sully, thanks again. it's been an honor to talk to you. thank you again for your drive to help people and to be willing to be a good samaritan. there are stories where we see people stand and do nothing. you stood and made a nation cheer. so we thank you again. we appreciate it again. the book "highest duty: my search for what really matters." it's been a pleasure. thanks again. coming up, the parents of a 6-year-old girl told she has brain cancer. doctors gave her only 135 days to live and when the tumor took away her ability to speak, alana turned to her crayons and sketch pad. soon after she died, her family started finding notes tuck away, letters to mom, dad, her baby sister, hidden all over the home. coming up, her parents talk about their angel and her notes left behind. >> something hidden between books on the book shelf, in the corners of our dresser drawers, between dishes in the china cabinet or between photos stacked away in boxes. ♪ make sure you have a tissue box close for this next story. a dying 6-year-old girl diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. elena desserich had only 135 days to live. she lived 255. she lost her ability to talk, but she wrote letters to her family and hid them around the house for her parents to find after her death. since 2007, her family has found hundreds of elena's letters, letters, i love you, mom, dad, little sister gracie. notes tucked away in mom's briefcase, another in dad's backpack. hundreds of letters hidden all over the house, in between books in a book shelf, in dresser drawers, even between dishes in the china cabinet. now her letters are part of a book. "notes left behind," elena's legacy. earlier i spoke with brooke and keith desserich, her parents, also authors of "notes left behind, 135 days with elena." joining us now, keith and brooke desserich, elena's mom and dad. mom and dad of a little girl that has taught us so much about how to live, how to show it and how to tell it. guys, thanks again for being with us and sharing elena's story, your story really. brooke, i'll start with you. tell us about this little girl, again, who has taught us so much. >> elena was such a wonderful and generous little girl. even from the beginning she really loved to, to show us how much she loved us in so many little ways, always thanking us for the littlest of things that we did for her. and that continued on throughout her life. >> wow. keith, did you always know that she would do something great? obviously, not in this way but she would impact a lot of people in her life? >> oh, absolutely. i think there's those children you think are wise beyond their years. with elena, we always felt like we were the kids and she was the parent. there was never any doubt she was going to do wonderful things. it's just we had no idea what she was going to do. >> brooke, take us back to the unthinkable, the cancer diagnosis. what led up to that? >> actually, around christmas of 2000 -- i'm sorry, thanksgiving of 2006, elena lost her voice. and we had just thought it was strep throat. and the day after thanksgiving, i had left the room and i came back in and she was falling all over the floor. and i knew something wasn't quite right. that wasn't normal. and we had taken her to the pediatrician, and he noticed something off. and he sent us for the mri. that is when we got the devastating news. >> did she know that she only had a number of days remaining? >> we never tell her that. as parents you can't give up hope. you have to be there to protect her. you have to make sure she is always thinking that she's going to get better. we as parents also want to believe that. that's exactly what we're in the fight for as well. so we're never going to tell her that. and we're always going to have the chance. we simply told her she has a bump in her head and she's going to get better and we're going to fight that and we're going to win. at the same time, you look at her and as you go through this type of cancer, you start losing things. but she always has her mind. she's always completely aware of everything going on. but each day she would lose one thing. she would lose the ability to roll her tongue or start to become paralyzed. then they go and do radiation and she gets better and she starts to improve. then she starts to feel that she's actually beating this. the biggest problem is, is that is for a limited time. >> did you write a survival guide for her little sister gracie about surviving kindergarten? >> she decided she would take it upon herself knowing gracie would go into kindergarten the next year a "how to get through kindergarten" book. it had very simple suggestions such as where to sit, what classes were favorite and where to eat lunch. and it's now become kind of a tradition in the school that gracie goes to that each year the first graders write it for the kindergartners about what they need to know about kindergarten. >> her painting, the i love you paintings in the cincinnati art museum. was she able to really take pride in that? it's next to her favorite artist, picasso. >> absolutely. the painting is simply titled, i love you. i would ask elena, i would say, what do you want to call it? she said, i love you. i said, i love you, too. she said, no, i love you. it's a painting that's very simp simple, a heart with rays coming outside of it. that's exactly what she was about. she loved it. to see her painting at the art museum was just the best gift she could possibly ever have especially next to her pablo as she called him. >> when we come back, we'll talk to keith about his last dance with elena and also about the notes they began finding all over the house. final i love you's. an incredible story. a teenager off the streets of memphis until a well-to-do family takes him in. he worked hard and it paid off. this once homeless teen makes it all the way to the nfl. it is a powerful story, powerful message. we're talking about the life of michael oher. and i had the honor to get an exclusive interview with him. first play a clip from the movie inspired by his life, warner brothers' new film "the blind side." >> who is that? >> big mike. he goes to high school here. >> what is he wearing? it's below freezing. do you have any place to stay tonight? don't you dare lie to me. was this a bad idea? >> what's the big deal? it's just for one night. it is just for one night, right? >> tell me just one thing i should know about you. >> i don't like to be called big mike. >> is this another one of your charities. >> we need to find out more about his past. >> he's been enrolled in seven different institutions. his grade point average begins with zero. he needs to do better in school. i'd love to work with him. >> this mine? >> yes, sir. >> never had one before. >> what, a room to yourself? >> a bed. >> what a story! and i have the honor now to talk with michael oher, offensive tackle baltimore ravens. michael, thanks for joining us. it is a true pleasure to talk to you and talk to you about your inspiring story. yeah, football fans know your story. but now with a book, movie coming out, everybody is going to know your story. do you ever stop and just think from not long ago, homeless michael oher to football star michael oher and a movie made about your life. can you believe this has all come to pass? >> it's unbelievable. you know, i came a long way. it's been a tough road, and to do something i love, something i have a passion for, it's unbelievable to be able to step on the field and pad up in the nfl. so i think about it every day. >> we just saw that clip from the movie. and it lays it out there, that, what, you're 16 years old and that's the first time pretty much you can remember having your own bed. is that the way life was? >> i mean, of course it was tough for me. a lot of people don't make it out. i'm the only one that i know that made it out. so to get an opportunity and -- like i got, i had to take advantage of it and to be able to meet a family like the tuohys for them to take me in, knowing where i came from and things like that. that shows what type of people they are and what type of heart that they have. and just for them to do everything that they do for me and just to be there for me whenever i need them, you know, i owe them everything. >> it's your family now. >> oh, yeah. >> and such a huge heart. because we look at your story and we look back. do you have memories of -- i mean, we laid it out there, that you never knew your father. he was murdered. your biological mom drug issues. do you have early memories being with your brothers, being homeless in that fight for really survival at an early age? >> of course. you know, i have a lot of memories of all kinds. but i chose to forget about all those and all the bad memories, all the -- not having, you know, anything to eat or struggling here and there. but you got to move on, you know. if i would have dwelled on the past, i don't think i would have made it this far. you have to put everything behind. you have to trust in other people who want to help you and do things for you. and i think that's what got me here, you know, forgetting about the past and just making it into -- making it into a positive and moving forward and just working hard every day. >> michael, that's one of the many things i love about your story, is that you talk and there always seemed to be hope with you. even the pictures i've seen of you as a child, there's a smile on your face, even though you're going through what you're going through. how did you keep hope alive? >> i've always wanted to be -- make it to the nfl and just be something in life. i knew -- i always figured it was a better way of life and a better way to do things. so i've always strived to be the best that i can be. and i always wanted to go to school and do all -- i went to school on my own, did a lot of things on my own. i always knew that if i worked hard and did everything that i possibly can do, you know, id o would be something. >> teammates describe you great player, passionate, intense. another play flat-out said michael is a joy to be around. >> who said that? >> matt birk, veteran. that's a veteran guy watching you as a player and a man. which one do you take more pride in? >> i mean, of -- i have to take it in both, because, you know, i work hard on the field and, you know -- all my teammates, we have a great group of guys. i love being around them. i just love being a part of an nfl organization, be around a guy like matt bishg. all he does is go to the pro bowl. just to be around those type guys, guys like ray lewis, guys i grew up watching and knowing that i've always been a big fan of this game. it's always been can't wait till september comes around to hear that da da da, da da da sound. all that type stuff. it's unbelievable. >> yeah. your story is unbelievable. when we come back, we're going to talk with michael more and talk more with michael about the family he mentioned, the tuohy family who stepped up and helped him out and gave him just that push to get him over the hump. now he's an nfl star. >> i don't know if i'm an nfl star. >> that's what i hear. michael's grades have improved enough that he can go out for spring football in march. >> one, two, three, four. >> this team is your family, michael. when you look at him, you think of him. how you have my back. are you going to protect the family, michael? >> yes, ma'am. >> you're going to want to get this! >> who is the big guy eating with your little brother? >> his big brother. >> i think what you're doing is so great. >> sandra bullock. >> you're changing that boy's life. >> he's changing mine. >> powerful statement there. that, again, from the new movie "the blind side" the story of michael oher's life. my onnor and privilege to talk to michael, offensive tackle for the baltimore ravens. as we hear that and hear sandra bullock playing the part of your mom lee ann tuohy. she's said that in interviews. >> words can't describe it. that means a lot to me, knowing that what they did for me and the kind of -- the amount of love that i have for them. you know, to -- for them to bring me in their home and just from me knowing right off the bat that they care about me as a person and they want the best for me, that speaks tons, just to know -- i mean, you can just see what type of hearts they have. it's unbelievable. >> what was your feelings when you drove up to this very nice home? >> i mean, just pulling up there and just knowing that i had never seen anything like this. it was just an unbelievable feeling, knowing that this could be your home. >> wow. let's listen, not to sandra bullock but to leeann tuohy talking about you being part of their family. >> there was just never really a defining moment that we said that we were going to take this young man in. he was there. we were there. he had needs. we had potential to fill them. and we'll tell stories that happened before we had michael and he'll throw in -- i'll go you weren't even here. but he thinks he's always been there and we think he's always been there. we don't know life without michael anymore. i know that's hard for people to understand, but that's just how it is. so there really wasn't a defining moment. it just kind of happened and it was a great thing that happened to us. he blessed us probably far more than we ever could have blessed him. >> michael, did you think it could last? did you think from that meeting you would become a member of the tuohy family. >> >> oh, definitely, because just -- it's a feeling you get. i got that feeling right away. you know, collins and shawn jr., they just welcomed me with open arms. it wasn't a problem. somebody coming into their home. they just took me in like i was a part of the family. and that's what i love about them. and they did everything i asked them to do and more. so without them, i wouldn't be here today. >> michael, how special was it on draft day when the tuohy family -- you guys were all together, one big family, as you're drafted by the baltimore ravens? how special was that? >> that was a big day. a day i've been waiting for forever. and it finally came true. and it was unbelievable. i just couldn't believe my name was called in the nfl draft. all my hard work had paid off and just to be on a team and know whatever happens after that, you know, i did everything i could to get to this level. so i was -- it was unbelievable. >> we're all just reveling in this as we see the pictures of you with the tuohy family and you all are celebrating. do you realize how big this story is in the sense of the inspiration that it has become, not only to football fans but to a watching world, that a family took you in. you were persevering through a rough childhood and now we have this story of victory? has that part of it soaked in for you, michael? >> a little bit. but the thing that people can take from this is, you know, if you reach out and lend a hand -- i know so many people that have more talent than i have that didn't get that opportunity that i got. and if they were to get that opportunity, it will be more people in the nfl, in the nba, with so many other skills -- not just doing other things. doctors, lawyers, anything. but they didn't have somebody to show them that there was another side to life. >> michael, very well put. i'm sure as people hear your story, see this movie, that might be a little more willing to reach out and make that difference for somebody else. michael oher, it's been a pleasure. continued success with your football career and with life. >> thank you for having me. >> what an inspirational story. more inspiration coming. some might call it a daily labor of love. jonathan prince runs 23 miles six days a week. now he's challenging you to hope or die. prince says if you're not hoping for something, you might as well be dead. coming up, what matters. meet this man on a mission and find out what motivates him. it's called the hope or die campaign. 2 the 29-year-old jonathan prince runs 23 miles a way, six days a week. now he's hoping president obama will help him in his journey. t.j. holmes from our sister network cnn takes us on the road with jonathan. >> reporter: he's underfunded and overstretched. says he's been running 44 of the last 59 days, sometimes in the bitter cold. some days, a little less than a marathon, some days more. and it's all for charity. the donations aren't exactly pouring in, but jonathan prince just keeps on running. >> man, it's cold. whew! >> reporter: this is prince's third cross country trek. his first back in 2005 raised $20,000 for hurricane katrina. impressive for someone who never ran track a day in his life. >> 11 1/2. so good job. >> reporter: this time he's running for six nonprofit organizations. >> right now, i can barely feel my face. it's really cold and i'm really numb right now. so i think about the six charities i'm running for, the people that need help and that's what i'm asking. the question is hope or die on a daily basis. >> reporter: prince launched the hope or die project to encourage others to use natural abilities to give back to the community as well as influence positive change in the world. according to him, if you're not hoping for something, you might as well be dead. >> are you going to have hope or let the dream die? i wanted to run across america to promote hope. >> reporter: it started october 15th on santa monica pier. his goal is to run across country all the way to washington, d.c., by march 27th. he's hoping for a big finish. >> if we're blessed enough, president barack obama will run the last mile with us. >> reporter: but that's a ways off for prince and his one-man, one-woman team. michael hanson and andrea batel. hanson worked in television and andrea for an accounting firm. they quit their 9:00 to 5:00 gigs to go on the road with prince. when the sponsors don't come through, they pay for their own room and board, sometimes sharing a room. >> sometimes you've got to take risks. we're out here risking it all in the 30 degree weather as you see. >> how often will we get a chance to leave our jobs, leave all responsibility behind and just go on the road for a movement, something that's positive, something that's going to be uplifting and change our lives as well as the lives around us. >> reporter: now it's time for the last leg of today's run. one of our producers and a photographer follow principles to the finish. our producer then decides to run, too. >> then he encourages her to finish. >> go ahead. >> t.j. holmes, cnn, atlanta. >> how about that? for more of what matters, check out of the january issue of essence magazine or log on to cnn.com/whatmatters. and coming up. an amazing love story. woman meets man, falls in love, then he goes to prison for a crime he did not commit. it took 14 years to clear his name, but she never gave up on him. a persevering love here. 14 years of love letters from behind bars. their incredible love stories coming up next. and here's a new way for you to join in on the conversation, become a fan of "prime news" on facebook. there's the link right there on our website, cnn.com/primenews. click it, head to that page. that's our facebook page and there he is waiting for you, the pensive mike galanos. much more detail about the show, behind the scenes look at some of the folks that make this show go. i'm just the last line of defense here. you help make the show go. so always love hearing from you. check us out on facebook or cnn.com/primenews.