Transcripts For WPVI 2020 20180114

Yeah. Dont you bring me down today here comes superhero nathaniel sometimes when im having a good time, i forget what i look like. Reporter Newman Family, i oe meet. Nnouncer tonight, a Remarkable Television event. The vie, and now on 20 20, Elizabeth Vargas with the reallife story of amazement and wonder. Dont you bring me down today reporter it is nearly midnight on a frigid february friday in manhattan. Nurses on the labor and delivery ward at st. Lukes hospital are urging one of the expectant mothers to keep trying. Magda newman with her husband russel has been in labor for hours, the endless waiting nearly as agonizing as the physical pain. What was the doctor telling you about why the labor was taking so long . Well, its the first delivery, you know. You just gotta push harder. They finally come in and say, look, we gotta get this kid out. Hes showing some signs of distress. And then our life changed forever. Reporter tell me what you saw. It didnt look like a human being. Reporter it didnt look like a human he didnt look like a person. It was that different. Reporter a crushing blow to a dream of parenthood, which itself had just been born three years earlier. When magda and Russel Newman met during a walk on the beach. I was bartending in the hamptons. And i saw her walkin on the beach. And i asked one of the waitresses who that was. And theyre like, thats the nanny. 22yearold magda was a classically trained pianist originally from poland. She had taken a summer job in the u. S. As an au pair. 33yearold russel saw an opportunity and seized it. I was a pretty rudderless ship in my early 30s. And she just grounded me right away. My life skyrocketed after i met her. Reporter the two married in 2002 and immediately got down to business. Family business. So, you got pregnant. Were you excited . Oh, yeah. Yeah. Very excited. Reporter everything was healthy . Absolutely no blips on the radar screen. Magda was 24 years old, incredibly healthy. So, they dont do a lot of tests when youre in that group. She was the ultimate lowrisk pregnancy. Reporter but back in that hospital room, after nearly 17 hours of labor when magda finally delivers, it is not a scene of happiness but of horror. I dont remember fainting but i i certainly remember screaming. You were screaming so loud. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. What i thought he was dead. Thats what i thought. What happened . Whats happened . Whats happening . I saw just shock on peoples faces, big eyes and whats going on here . What happened . And i see they put him in a little back room. Theres 20 people running in there, doing something. I dont hear baby crying. No noise reporter and nobodys telling you anything . Silence. Nobodys no. Telling me anything. Im like, whats going on . Is he alive . Whats going on . I wanna see the baby. And they didnt wanna show it to me. Reporter they didnt wanna they were scared to show me. Reporter show you your own baby. I think they were scared at first because he had no cheekbones and no upper or lower eyelids. Just completely disfigured. Reporter and even more terrifying, the baby is not breathing. Magda is left alone on the delivery table while doctors frantically work to save her babys life. While that was going on, a doctor called me out of the room to show me a textbook written in, like, the 1960s. It i just remember it being an old, blackandwhite picture of a teenager with treachercollins. And i remember thinking, thats gonna be my kid . Reporter Treacher Collins is an extremely rare congenital cranial facial disorder. It affects just 1 in 50,000 people. I cant imagine firsttime parents. You were so excited to have a baby. In one nanosecond, everything, every single thing changed oh, it was it was it was it was surreal. Reporter they name their child nathaniel and contact the institute of reconstructive Plastic Surgery at nyus medical center. A leading hospital working with children who have Treacher Collins. They leave a message and within hours receive a fateful phone call back. I said, hello, whos this . She goes, its shelley cohen. Congratulations. That was the first person who said to us, congratulations no one had congratulated us yet. It was, like, 10 00 or 11 00 a this woman shelley, baby. Before i could even tell her, she goes, hey, mr. Newman, you had a baby boy, i ard. Thats wonderful. And i remember goin, are you n nut i do because i said congratulations before we talked about anything else. Rorter ou people were paryt to and she said, lemme just tell you, your son is a long, healthy, happy, wonderful life. And i believed her. Like, it was just this voice on a phone. And i believed her. Reporter nathaniel is transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at nyu where he will spend the first month of his life. The newmans meet nurse pat chibaro, an angel in a white lab coat. What do you remember most about that day that you met the newmans . They were absolutely devastated. Families will say, well, when is the surgery . When is the surgery thats going to make this all reporter all better. All go away. Reporter right. And, rtunfounately, its a journey. Its not a surgery. Reporter and for the newmans the journey was just beginning. They say it was something unexpected that happened in the hours after nathaniel was born that sustained them through the early days and then the later months and years ahead. We turn on the tv, and it was the grammy awards. The show starts with Christina Aguilera singing the song beautiful. I am beautiful no matter what they say no matter what words cant bring me down no i mean you talk about time and no matter what people say, no matter what people do, youre beautiful in every single way. Words cant bring me down we decided, like, hes going to be beautiful not because of his appearance, because of his personality, cause hes going to be a beautiful person. We are beautiful in every single way i swear she was singing to us that night, i swear, as cheesy as that sounds. And that song just resonated. And we got up outta the bed. And we went down to the nicu. And we held nathaniel for the first time. We held our son. Sorry. And it was awesome. And then the journey started. Reporter now meet this extraordinary wonder boy, next. D nonsmall cell lung cancer, previously treated with platinumbased chemotherapy, including those with an abnormal alk or egfr gene whove tried an fdaapproved targeted therapy, who wouldnt want a chance for another. . Whod say no to a. . Who wouldnt want a chance to live longer. Opdivo nivolumab . Over 40,000 patients have been prescribed opdivo immunotherapy. Opdivo can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in your body and affect how they work. This may happen during or after treatment has ended, and may become serious and lead to deat see your doctor riif you experr worsening cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; diarrhea; severe stomach pain or tenderness; severe nausea or vomiting; extreme fatigue; constipation; excessive thirst or urine; swollen ankles; loss of appetite; rash; itching; headache;on hallucinations; muscle or joint pain; flushing; lofever; or weakness,h; itchas this may keep these problems from becoming more serious. These are not all the possible side effect of opdivo. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including immune system problems, or if youve had an organ transplant, or lung, breathing, or liver problems. A chanli t longer. Because who wouldnt want. That . Ask your doctor about opdivo. Thank you to all involved in opdivo clinical trials. 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Announcer wonder boy continues with Elizabeth Vargas reporting. Reporter every parent of every child in every hospital clings to one sustaining hope, that whatevers wrong can somehow be fixed. But Nathaniel Newmans devastated parents dont even have that. How long did it take each of you to not flinch each time you saw nathaniel . It took me a year. A year . A year. A year. I almost cried every day. Every single time i looked at him, i could not believe its my child. I couldnt believe it. Reporter nathaniel has a genetic condition called Treacher Collins syndrome, unlike a typical infants face he was born without cheekbones, eye sockets or ears but most harrowing of all are his breathing complications. His nasal passageway is nearly solid bone and his airway is so narrow its like trying to breath through a soda straw. But as different as nathaniel looks on the outside, that is where the differences end. Did you tell them, its his brain is unaffected thats really important. Its really important. Because when you look at children with craniofacial conditions, you think cognitively, they are not going to be developmentally normal other than his appearance and how his life functions, breathing, eating, et cetera, he is no different than any other boy. Reporter but because of those malformations in his face in his first year of life he has more than ten surgeries. Weve never done cosmetic surgery on nathaniel. Everything weve done his whole life has had some benefit to life fction. Reporter when nathaniel is one month old an emergency tracheotomy is performed, a breathing tube inserted in his throat. A procedure as life altering as it is life saving. Once you become dependent on a trach your life will your your life changes. And then, hes gonna be prone to infection, which ended up proving to be true. Where a normal parent, you know, bath time is this cute, wonderful experience. For us, youre worrying about, what if water gets in there. Reporter but they remain committed to that pledge they made to nathaniel on the first to the world. Life, to raise hime i live in new york cioller. And everybody was, oh, you have a baby. And they go, le baby. And theyre like, god bless you. That was the worst. T was the worst. Reporter by the time nathaniel turns two, russel and magda are settling into this version of parenthood, yet they still long for the chance to experience it without all the heartache. I wanted to have a normal child. I wanted to see how be able to nurse yes. Definitely for sure. But we were scared to just do it on our own. We did every test known to man and they basically said were 99 sure your second child will not be affected with Treacher Collins. Reporter but there is no way to sure until delivery day arrives. This delivery was so quick, i walk into the hospital 20 minutes later jacob was born. Jacob literally came out looking like a porcelain doll. He was just gorgeous, beautiful. Reporter the simple joys of motherhood, so easily taken for granted were for magda extraordinary. It was justsoasy. Yothba you just hold it and try to breastfeed it. Reporter throughout the years nathaniel and jacob shared all the moments and memories that brothers do, but for nathaniel, things were always different. How old was nathaniel when he first noticed, looking in a mirror, i dont look like everybody else. Definitely around age four or five, he could clearly vocalize, i dont like the staring. I dont like the name calling. At that age were goin to birthday parties and other kids see him and scream and leave. He knows it was about him. Repled to reno, nevada, where russ got a nejob. It is finally time to meet nathaniel. Hello. Ne toinee nice to see you. This is n. Nathaniel is now 11 years old and has had 53 surgeries. This is sam. Nice to meet you. Along, who, like so many kids, weve come to do some of nathaniels favorite things youre supposed to beat it. Reporter video games. Going to the trampoline park. Dodgeball how do you explain how you look different . I just explain that i have Treacher Collins, and i know everyone looks different, except i look a lot more different than everyone else. Does that bother you . No. I kinda like it. It just seems fun cause i stand out. Im curious when you realized, hey, my face is different from other peoples faces. When the first kid called, monster. A kid called you a monster . Yeah that must have hurt your feelings . Yeah, and then i realized that they dont do it to anybody else, so i was different. How did that make you feel . I was insulted. Yeah, ill bet. Were you mad . Yeah, i guess a little. Sometimes why do you think kids do that . Why do you think they say mean things to kids who look different . Because theyre they dont really think about what theyre saying, and their parents dont really do anything about it. Reporter and over the years nathaniels differences have affected his little brother jacob too, he can sometimes find himself acting more like a big brother. Your parents were telling me how when you were so little and kids would be mean to nathaniel and youd get up there with your little fist and go, hey, leave my brother alone. I still do that. You still do that. But i get more into it. Do you think of yourself as your brothers protector . I think he can protect himself pretty good, but sometimes there are just Big High School kids that i have to talk to by myself how old are you, jacob . Almost 9. Youre almost 9. Here comes superhero nathaniel sometimes i forget i have Treacher Collins. You do . Yeah, sometimes if im having a good time, i forget what i look like. So when we were ziplining, did you forget you had Treacher Collins . Yeah, i was just having a lot of fun. Reporter coming up for nathaniel middle school. How do you fit in when you are born to stand out . My name is Nathaniel Newman and i am different. Stay with us. Y with us. Psoriatic arthritis tries to get in my way . Watch me. Ive tried lots of things for my joint pain. Now . Watch me. Think id give up showing these guys how its done . Please. Real pple with active Psoriatic Arthritis ight it. Theyre movityx®. Its a different kind of targeted biologic. Its proven to help people find less joint pain and clearer skin. Dont use are allergic to cosentyx. Before starting cosentyx you should be checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms of an infection. Or if you have received a vaccine, or plan to. If you have inflammatory bowel disease tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. Serious allergic reactions may occur. With less joint pain, watch me. For less joint pain and clearer skin, ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. Double, double lovin is what im gonna give to you and you will get double the lovin every time i do gonna double your lovin, double your fun you get two for the price of one. And your family running. Are so overwhelming, introducing febreze one for fabric and air. No aerosols. No dyes. No heavy perfumes. It cleans away odors for a pure light freshness. So you can spray and stay. Febreze one, breathe happy. If you could see your cough. Its just a cough. Youd see how often you cough all day. And so would everyone else. Robitussin delivers fast, powerful relief to fight your cough in 12 hour shifts. Robitussin 12 hour cough relief, because its never just a cough. Dont look at me. Announcer once again Elizabeth Vargas. Reporter the first day of middle school, who ever wants to relive that, but imagine what its like for Nathaniel Newman. In the fall of 2015 nathaniel walked into bd Billinghurst Middle School in reno, nevada, for his first day of sixth grade, which for nathaniel meant another brutal round of introductions. New school, new classmates. To ease the transition, the newmans had a plan. Russel came up with the great idea. They sat down together and we write a letter. My name is Nathaniel Newman i am different. I dont want you to be surprised when we meet. I have a trach to breathe and a special heear. I hree d star wars. On a lot, as well as i really just want you to treat me like everyone else. And we include a picture to try and avoid some of the first day shock and awe, if you will. Reporter after a couple of months we came to visit nathaniel at school. Ms. Culbertson and ms. Urban are his sixth grade teachers. How important were those letters that nathaniels family sent out . Expect i think is ve hrather th school and then having that reaction, which most parents have taught their kids not to have that kinda reaction. But its hard. Theyre kids. Were any of guys at all nervous to meet nathaniel the first time . Yeah. Yeah, its okay to admit that. Tell me why you were nervous. I was a little nervous because i didnt wanna say anything to hurt his feelings. I didnt know what the experience would be like. He may look different on the outside. But on the inside, hes perfectly normal just like everyone else. Reporter but the single most powerful change in how children treat nathaniel isnt because of that letter but because of a little blue book called wonder. We incorporate the book wonder into the welcome letters. Like, hey, you might have read wonder now. You might have read the book wonder. If you have then you already know a little bit about me. Reporter wonder tells the story of 10 yearold Auggie Pullman born with a facial difference a lot like Treacher Collins. Do you do all your writing in the office . Rj palacio wrote the book after a chance encounter with a little girl who looked a lot like nathaniel. I was in front of an Ice Cream Store here in my neighborhood with my two sons. And i realized that there was a little girl sitting directly next to me. She had a very severe cranial facial difference. And i kind of panicked, cause my little boy started to cry hysterically and in my haste to protect her from his reaction, i kinda like turned the stroller around, i started pushing it away really fast. It was terrible. And i i was so mad at myself for the way that i handled it. For the rest of the day, i just kept thinking about all the things i wished id said and done. Reporter palacio started writing with the hope that this story could inspire parents and children alike. I just thought, okay, im going to write a book and its going to be about what it must be like to face a world every day that doesnt know how to face you back. Reporter when the book came out in 2012 nurse pat chibaro was one of the first to read it. She immediately reached out to the newmans. I literally read it in three hours, cried the whole time. And i remember calling back pat and going, pat, did she spy on us . Like, this is freaky. And then we got to meet raquel face to face for lunch one day. And when she saw nathaniel, you could just see this look in her face. And i remember thinking, oh, my goodness, this is Auggie Pullman come to life. Reporter the similarities between the book and nathaniels life are almost unbelievable. Wonder begins with auggie starting at a new school just like nathaniel, enduring dozens of surgeries like nathaniel. And even more astonishing, if you flip to page 118 youll even find the lyrics from that song that means so much to the newmans. A song they still play every year on nathaniels birthday. Its so remarkable that you wrote this entire novel and then you meet this family and its the family in your novel. I know. I mean it was amazing. Reporter today wonder is more than a book, its a phenomenon selling more than five million copies and translated into 45 languages. Its even become required reading in hundreds of schools across the country. Its become part of a campaign, in essence, to be kind. I used this quote, if you have the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. Such a simple thing. That book is singlehandedly making life easier for children with facial differences. Its just a fact. Reporter coming up, will nathaniel ever breathe on his own . Doctors propose a risky surgery that could mean life or death. One more major surgery, which is barbaric. Reporter are the newmans ready for the gamble of a lifetime . Stay with us. To fetch a pail of water. All because of a burst water pipe in their house that ruined the Hardwood Floors in their kitchen. Luckily the Geico Insurance agency had helped them with Homeowners Insurance and the inside of their house was repaired and floors replaced. Jack and jill no longer have to fetch water. They now fetch sugarfree vanilla lattes with almond milk. Call geico and see how affordable Homeowners Insurance can be. Call geico bburning of diabetic nerve pain these feet. Liked to style my dog as a kid. And were pumped to open my own salon. But i couldnt bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. So i talked to my doctor and she prescribed lyrica. Lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. Tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. Common side effects dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs, and feet. Dont drink alcohol while taking lyrica. Dont drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. Those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. Now i have less diabetic nerve pain. Ask your doctor about lyrica. ,000 deaths in america last year. We need to stand up and say enough. The only way this problem is going to be solved is if we raise our voices. Choose help over helplessness, hope over hopelessness. Make sure that the lives weve lost will not have been lost in vain. Addiction is a disease. When you ask for help, help is there for you. Reporter today is no ordinary day for the Newman Family. All right, this is exciting. Were heading to the Renotahoe International Airport to pick up Jono Lancaster. Im excited. Reporter in the world of craniofacial disorders, Jono Lancaster is a rock star. I have a welcome to reno sign for jono. Hey, there he is. Hi. Hey, guys how you doing . Hi. Reporter jono, a 33 yearold from england is perhaps the best known person on the planet with Treacher Collins. Jono lancaster was born with a rare genetic condition. I dont know how many people has called me names or laughed at me. Reporter he spends much of his time traveling the world and meeting families like the newmans. Youre the first adult with Treacher Collins hes ever hung out with. Wow. Right . All of a sudden youre quiet, you didnt shut up all morning, now youre afraid to talk . Reporter nathaniel may be a little starstruck, but its magda and rus who recognize the magnitude of this moment. What it means to talk to someone who knows the uncertain path they are on. Guys, get as close as you can. Thatll work. Thats a good one. Reporter because he too has walked it. Aw, thats awesome. Reporter life for jono was tough from the start, born to parents who had no idea he would have Treacher Collins, they gave him up just 36 hours after birth. When i was young, thered be the odd playground game of run away from jono in case you caught Treacher Collins. Theyd pull their eyes down. What did you most want to hear from him or ask him . Nted t his teenage mostly. His teenage years . Yes. I know soon the boys will be having girlfriends. I just want nathaniel to be a part of that too. Girls used to ask me out as a dare or as a joke, or they used to flirt with me and make it really obvious that they were making fun of me. And i got used to namecalling and bullying and stuff like that. And i kinda got used to that. But the girls. It bothered you. It really upset me. The fact that nobody found me sexually attractive really hurt. Reporter although it took time, life began to transform for jono around the time he began transforming himself. In his twenties he developed a passion for fitness, looking back he says he was trying to shift the focus from his face to his body, it eventually led to a job as a personal trainer and it was at the gym where he unexpectedly met laura richardson. The two struck up a friendship and one day jono asked her out on a date. When the two of you are out on a date, do people stare . Yeah. And i get really quite, like, defensive. Id be like, what are you lookin at . Youd call them out. Yeah, i would because it it would, like, bubble up inside me. And i it made me angry, but i do not notice it at all now. Theres a lot of kids out there that are really, really good at hiding their feelings. Were gonna skype laura in london to say hi to jonos girlfriend. Reporter in reno, the newmans get a chance to meet laura as well, over skype. Look how gorgeous she is. Seriously. Hi, laura. Hi. I just have to tell you, you loving jono the way you do, makes me and magda so happy about nathaniels future. Thank you. Have you ever felt like people stared at you a lot when you were a kid . Yeah, um, i did have people staring at me. And when i was younger, i always thought they were staring at me in a bad way. Um. But as ive got older, ive learned that loads of people stare at me because, you know, they like my hair, or they like my clothes. You know . Theyre not staring at me in a bad way. Sometimes they stare at you in a good way. Oh, korean barbeque is ready. How many surgeries have you had when you were a kid . I think i must have had maybe like 15. That mustve been rough. Reporter when the topic of surgery comes up around the dinner table, there is one major difference that is clear, jono nathaniels throat that hes lived with since he was a month old. Now doctors may finally have a solution that could give nathaniel a trachfree life. But its a gamble. One more major surgery, which is barbaric. Barbaric . Barbaric. Why . Its so extreme. Good day ahead, dude. Reporter the newmans have been meeting with doctors at the seattle childrens hospital, trying to decide if they are ready for a surgery so radical its only been preformed on one other child with Treacher Collins. It is, i would have to say, a terrible surgery for a child to go through. Reporter dr. Richard hopper is the chief surgeon at the craniofacial center. He knows how debilitating nathaniels trach tube can be. We gotta make sure youre clean. Its keeping him alive. But for him to have the quality of life that we all take for granted, the tracheostomy needs to be gone. Reporter in order for that to happen dr. Hopper will have to literally rearrange the bones in nathaniels face opening up his airway. What we need to be able to do is separate his entire face off of the skull and swing his face forward into the correct position. Reporter at his consultations no detail is spared from nathaniel. He listened to the whole thing, very attentive, and finally he turned to the doctor and he said, i have a question. Do they change their face a lot . Its not giving you a new face, but it puts your face into a different position. Will i still look like this . Yes. He goes, i want my trach out. But youre not changing the way i look. I love my face. Thats extraordinary. I really learned the meaning of the phrase, no pain, no gain. So i realized the meaning of that. Thats right, youre going to have a little bit of pain. But then im going to gain. This way. Reporter after months of preparation the day of the surgery is finally here. Yeah. Any questions for me today . No. I know weve talked about this surgery a lot. Its going to seem like a split second to you. One second im on the bed, and the next im sitting in a hospital room. Yeah. Ready . Yeah. This is the drill. Reporter as he has done nearly 60 times before, a Family Tradition of sorts, russ carries his son into surgery. Wanna kiss her one more time . Yeah. I love you. See you soon. Reporter coming up the newmans face the most harrowing 24 hours of their lives. So my heart is beating faster and faster. Im going to go to the house phone. Hi, its Russel Newman, Nathaniel Newmans father . His whole face is broken in pieces. Reporter and a Devastating Development no one saw coming. Its so im so tired. Reporter stay with us. Us. New 1 2 3 dollar menu. Ah, ill have the we havent been to the Grocery Store in weeks meal, please. yawning sniff clatter, thud you said 2 sausage mcmuffin with egg and 2 small iced caramel macchiatos for just 10. Exactly. sup, fellas. Hey, man. P. Oh, wait. Build whatever meal you want avorites on mcdonalds new 1 2 3 dollar menu. avorites on mcdonalds new 1 2 3 dollar menu. Touch is how we communicate with those we love, but when your psoriasis is bad, does it ever get in the way . Embrace the chance of 100 clear skin with taltz. 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For the next 12 hours surgeons will work to rearrange the bones in nathaniels face. Anchoring them in place with a metal halo attached to his hea for the next three months, until those bones can finally settle into the n at that point doctors will finally remove nathaniels trach and hell be able to do things hes never done before. As dr. Hopper heads into ting r are left to wait and worry. It never gets easier. Putting your son on a metal table, surrounded by things that are gonna, you know, cut him open. Its agonizing. You know, its just were just siand wau know. We just sit. You just sit. What else can you do . Reporter as the hours pass the tension mounts. So my heart is beating faster and faster. Russel, what time is it . Its 6 40 already . So were on ten plus hours now. Im going to go to the house phone. Hi, alison, its Russel Newman, Nathaniel Newmans father, we just got a page . Okay. You got it. Yup. Thanks, genevieve. So hes finishing up. Everything went fantastic. Yeah. No problems at all. How are you smiling . Uh, i dont know, its a lot of energy. He did great. Everything went perfectly smooth. No problems whatsoever. Its g because hes going to have metal everywhere. Hes going to be very swollen. Much more swollen than when youve seen him from previous surgeries. Dr. Hopper, really. We owe you so much. Its a pleasure to work with you. Youve just given us such a ray e. Reporter magda and rus are able to briefly see nathaniel. Were keeping him comfortabl. He just gave us a thumbs up rit what . he really gave you a thumbs up . Can i hug you . Oh, sure. Oh, my god, he really did br pieces, right now. He knows that he will be asleep for two days. He said, mom, please doot leave my side. I want to know that youre there. Reporter when nathaniel wakes up his jaw is wired shut to that metal halo. The family leaves the hospital but remains in seattle so doctors can monitor nathaniels progress. But after just a few days there is crushing medical news. This time not for nathaniel. Mag down with a nagging cough. I started coughing and thinking i probably have some type of walking pneumonia. So i just went to emergency ro reporter the doctors quickly order a routine c. A. T. Scan and then. The doctor says, well, its cancer. Im like, thats that cant be possible. Reporter but it is. Magda is diagnosed with an aggressive form of nonhodgkins lymphoma. I was angry. I couldn b i just it was just wrong timing. Reporter a caretaker turned patient herself, she begins a series of grueling chemotherapy treatments, eventually losing her hair but never her sense of purpose. I had two choices. To sit and mope and think, oh, my god, poor me, or just, get help, get healthy and take care of nathaniel. Party all the time, right in the hospital, right now. Down, down, up, up. Reporter nothing it seems can stop magda. People would look at everything that you, as a family, have been through and would say why is so much being asked of this one family . Ive asked myself that question. Ive asked god that question. And you know what, you can focus on the negative and be negative. Is it going to change . No. You have a choice to look at the positive. Reporter it is an outlook magda has passed on to nathaniel who while in that metal halo was unable to speak or eat but remarkably is able to dance. He loves to dance. Now we can check in. Reporter after three months nathaniel is back at the hospital, doctors are ready to remove that halo. Ill see you in there, okay, buddy . Okay. Its going to be all good, nathaniel, okay . Ill see you when you wake up. Well do this. Watch your head, duck. Give me a kiss. Rorter witi surgery magda heads home to rest and the crus weight of all that they have been through sudus. Its been months. Its been a really long 12 years. Its so im so tired. I want it to be over. Reporter when nathaniel comes out of surgery he is halofree, but there will be five more months of evaluations and tests before doctors are ready to do something the newmans have waited a lifetime to do, remove nathaniels trach. All right, you ready . This is a big day in your life. Thats it, dude. Okay so this is how you get rid of a trach after 13 years. Here it goes. Reporter finally for the First Time Ever breathing on his own and nathaniel is able to do something most 12yearolds wouldnt think twice about, jump in the pool and go for a swim. You did it. Oh, my gosh, i love it. Reporter and the newmans have another reason to celebrate, after five months of chemotherapy doctors tell magda her cancer is gone. It is a year filled with milestones. Happy birthday, natony. Finally you are teenager and your trache is out. One, two, three. Happy birthday to you nathaniel celebrated his 13th birth day. On his birthday, rus, you wrote him an amazing messae wonder bo you show me every day that my strength pales in comparison to what you possess in thormous he. Because of you, i, we and r family have the strength to endure all life throws at us. I have a 13yearold boy thats tackled more challenges than most 100yearold men would ever dream of. What was it like to read that letter from your dad . I was happy. Yeah . Did you know that he thinks that youre that strong . Yeah. Yeah . Do you think hes right . Yeah. I dont know, actually. You dont know, actually . Yeah. I think hes right. I think hes, like you think hes right. 100 right. You are beautiful reporter rus posted his letter on facebook and attached that song you might call the Newman Family anthem. Youre still playing, beautiful . I play it yeah. I play it all the time. It inspires the heck outta me. Hello, Newman Family. Reporter when we come back an emotional surprise for the Newman Family you wont want to miss. 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Gallbladder problems have happened in some people. Tell your doctor right away if you get symptoms. Taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and constipation. Side effects can lead to dehydration, y cause kidney problems. Change the course of your treatment. Ask your doctor about victoza®. Reporter after 13 years of heartache, struggle, perseverance and triumph, today the Newman Family is on its way to a full circle surprise. Hello, Newman Family. Hello. Reporter its been just a month since nathaniels trach came out. While he continues to recover, we brought the whole family to los angeles. They are here to meet someone whos been a lifeline for them from the very beginning. Newman family, i have someone i want you to meet. Christina aguilera. Hi, guys hi oh, my god, can i hug you . Absolutely. Thats the girl who sang the song. Were in Christina Aguileras house. Its just crazy, right . Youre welcome. You want to sit down . Lets go. Lets go hang out. Once everyone settles in magda tells christina that it was her song all those years ago that gave her the strength to hold her baby boy for the first time and raise him to know how beautiful he is. I realized that evening that i have a beautiful child and it doesnt matter what we see on the outside. Christina has one more surprise for you. What is it . Shes actually going to sing the song. Really . Wow. Are you ready for this . This time not for an audience of millions, but for a family of four for whom this song has meant so much. I am beautiful no matter what they say words cant bring me down i am beautiful in every single way cause words cant bring me down so dont you bring me down today no matter what we do no matter what we say with the song inside the tune full of beautiful mistakes and everywhere we go tomorrow we might awake on the other side we are beautiful no matter what they say no matter what they say reporter the whole family was back in los angeles rus wrote in his birthday letter to nathaniel. Youve shown me strength i never knew could exist. You even taught me to accept life with a smile. Next on action news, the eagles are headed to the championship game. We have Team Coverage of the bird win over the falcons at the link. Action news is next. Action news, delaware valleys leading news program, with meteorologist melissa magee, Jeff Skversky and walter perez. We are headed to the championsh