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American Morning

Story of Surrogate Quintuplets; Steroid Use in the NFL

Aired April 27, 2005 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: One day old -- the incredible story of the surrogate quintuplets this morning. The doctor who delivered them into the world tells us how the five baby boys are doing.
The former NFL lineman who admits he used steroids when he was playing. What he's going to tell Congress today in round two of the steroid hearings.

And in the Michael Jackson trial, the singer's ex-wife is now about to testify. But will she be allowed to tell all?

On this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone.

Good morning.

8:00 here in New York.

An incredible story out of Colorado yesterday, a story of survival, too, about a skiing trip and a man named Charlie Horton. He broke his leg and went eight days without any food or water. And wait until you hear how he survived. We'll talk about that in a few moments.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, the best places in the country for a great retirement, places that you might not have even thought about. Gerri Willis has part three of her series on retirement ahead this morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is Cedar Grove, New Jersey on that list?

O'BRIEN: You're not retired.

CAFFERTY: Coming up in "The Cafferty File," Wednesday, time for "Things People Say."

New Mexico's governor on why he never used steroids.

Rocker Ted Nugent calls for doing away with trials.

A town that forgot to print the ballots for its local election.

And a yawn costs a man $1,000.

O'BRIEN: Ooh. It looks like a good "File" this morning, Jack.

HEMMER: Worth getting up for.

CAFFERTY: It's exciting.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

To the headlines.

Here's Carol with us -- Carol, hello.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

And good morning to all of you.

CAFFERTY: Scintillating.

COSTELLO: Prosecutors winding up their case against Michael Jackson with testimony from one of his exes. Debbie Rowe, the mother of two of Jackson's three children, is set to take the stand today. Rowe is expected to say Jackson bribed her into doing a highly scripted interview. She is now suing the pop star for more contact with her children.

A CNN "Security Watch" now. U.S. chemical plants vulnerable to terrorist attacks. That's what President Bush's former homeland security adviser is expected to tell Congress later today. He's expected to urge lawmakers to develop safety standards and quit relying on chemical plants to voluntarily beef up their own safety measures. But testimony when it happens. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Critics in Florida say a new gun bill will turn the state into the wild, wild West. At issue, a measure Governor Jeb Bush signed Tuesday allowing gun owners to meet force with force, both at work and on public streets. The National Rifle Association is planning to push for similar bills across the country. Florida's new law takes effect in October.

The Airbus A380 is set to wind up its historic flight this hour. The world's largest passenger jet took off in southern France early this morning. The double-decker has more than 500 seats and the wings are so big, you could park 70 cars on top of them. Airbus hopes to have the plane ready for passengers next year.

And call him the Bronx Bomber. Alex Rodriguez, A-Rod, one shy of a 1936 record. The Yankees' A-Rod crushed three home runs, drove in 10 runs Tuesday, to lead his team to a 12-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. He's two RBIs shy of the all time record, which will be in the National League. But I guess his batting average went from like .275 up to over .300.

HEMMER: That'll do it.

O'BRIEN: It was a good game.

COSTELLO: He had a good night.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: Keep the Yankee fans happy for about 24 hours.

COSTELLO: Until they lose their next game, yes.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Well, a surrogate mom hoping to give a child, this couple, a baby of their own, gives birth not to one, not to two or three or four, but give baby boys all at once.

Joining us this morning is Dr. John Elliott.

He's in our Chicago bureau this morning.

He is the obstetrician who brought in the whole brood.

Good morning to you, sir.

Thanks for talking with us this morning.

DR. JOHN ELLIOTT: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The babies weighing between 3.7 pounds and 3.15 pounds. That's sounds nice sized for quintuplets, especially.

Are you happy with how the whole thing went?

ELLIOTT: You know, our goal was to get her to 34 weeks and we got to 33 weeks, which is going to be great for these babies. The average quintuple pregnancy gets to 28 weeks, which is 12 weeks prior to full term for a singleton. So we were able to get five extra weeks for these babies and with the baby with the heart defects, that was life saving for him, for Javier.

O'BRIEN: Do you break it up into teams, too, that each baby have a team that it was sort of whisked off to when it was delivered? And how many people were in the operating room then?

ELLIOTT: Well, there were -- I didn't count them exactly, but I think about 25 people were in there. Our neonatal division of our practice, we had four neonatologists, high risk baby specialists, present. And we had two nurses for each baby. So really we had three people on the team for each baby. So a lot of people concerned with caring for them.

O'BRIEN: And just a lot of people in that room.

The smallest baby who was delivered, who I think was Javier, there were concerns that he would have to go right into surgery and he didn't have to. He's got this congenital heart defect.

What exactly is his prognosis?

ELLIOTT: Well, he's got a defect in his heart that is going to be needing surgery to correct. It's going to be difficult for him because he's small. And the surgery is going to be very difficult and there is a definite mortality with the surgery. So not every baby makes it. It's approximated that he's got probably a 33 percent chance of making it through the surgery.

So we're all very happy that he's going to do well. We thought he was going to need to have a cardiac catheterization yesterday at the time of delivery and a temporary procedure performed just to allow him to get to the formal surgery. But he was strong and he didn't need that.

O'BRIEN: Hopefully that'll bear out through the surgery later, as well.

Tell me a little bit about the patient. We know the parents are obviously overjoyed. We've seen them crying as they talk about their babies. But Teresa Anderson -- she is the gal who really did all the hard work in this.

Did she surprise you with her fortitude and her attitude?

ELLIOTT: Truly, it was an amazing experience. I don't -- I know Teresa didn't know what she was getting herself into when she first found out she was carrying five and then had to make the decision to continue with the pregnancy and to carry five babies. She then kind of backtracked on her initial contract with the Morenos, where she was going to be paid $15,000 to be a surrogate and carry one baby for them. And she very graciously and generously decided that they needed the money more than she and her family did. And so she said no, I won't take the money.

So here's a woman that really put herself on the line. A very, very difficult pregnancy. She had two little girls three and four years old that obviously needed their mother. And she was able to stay at home for 32 weeks of the pregnancy. Most quintuplets are in the hospital much, much earlier than that.

O'BRIEN: And not a lot of moms can...

ELLIOTT: So she was able to...

O'BRIEN: Not a lot of moms -- forgive me for jumping in there. But not a lot of moms to be can walk into the delivery room when they're having twins or triplets.

Did she walk in? Is that right, for the quintuplets?

ELLIOTT: She did. She was on medication to stop pre-term labor and that medication makes your -- it relaxes muscle and so it made her actually quite weak. And yet she decided she wanted to walk into the delivery room. So she got up out of her bed and walked in and got on the delivery table herself. That's kind of Teresa doing her own thing.

O'BRIEN: Dr. John Elliott joining us this morning.

Nice to see you.

Thank you.

Congratulations to you and your team.

And, of course, our best wishes for the family, as well.

ELLIOTT: Thank you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: A sweet story.

Baseball and steroids were the focus of this congressional hearing about a month ago. Today, that committee turns its attention to football. NFL officials, including the commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, testify before the House Government Reform Committee at 10:00 a.m. That panel is considering new laws regulating drug testing in professional sports.

And former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Steve Courson will be the only player to testify today. He says his own steroid use 25 years ago triggered health problems.

And Steve Courson is my guest in D.C.

Good morning to you.

STEVE COURSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: You have made a pretty incredible statement. Twenty- five years ago you're saying 65 percent to 95 percent of NFL players were on steroids.

You still believe that?

COURSON: Well, I think that kind of was representative more of the line of scrimmage positions. Today it's very hard to tell what the percentages are. I've been out of the game for almost 20 years. So I'm not around these guys. I don't train with them. But we do know about some of the loopholes in drug testing and we also know about the Carolina Panther situation. So you'd have to be pretty naive to believe that there wasn't some drug use in football, as well as other sports. HEMMER: Yes, the Carolina situation goes back to 2003. A crabbers report uncovered a few of these guys who went and got steroids before the Super Bowl. That clears that story.

But go back to what you're talking about based on your own playing days.

You're talking about offensive linemen, defensive linemen, not everybody on the field?

COURSON: No, it was very prevalent in the line of scrimmage positions. There have been numerous marquis linemen from my period, such as Lyle Alzado and Howie Long, Bill Fralick (ph), Joe Klecko, who have made statements of the percentages that ranged between 50 and 90 percent.

So the unanimity of those statements has to speak to that there was a competitive dilemma there.

HEMMER: Do you think there's a role for government in this? Because the one thing we talked about with the baseball story about a month ago was that the baseball players were, by and large, they were against any form of government intervention.

COURSON: Well, I think one thing that we've seen with the NFL, and you have to give them credit, the NFL with their testing program has been very proactive and basically has instituted the strictest and most stringent testing policy in professional sports. The question is, I guess, is it enough?

HEMMER: Yes.

Why are you the only one testifying, Steve?

COURSON: I was asked to testify. Basically, I've been asked to testify on three issues. Number one, on the health effects. Number two, and probably the most important issue in my mind is the problem with our youth. And thirdly on my views on the NFL today.

HEMMER: Yes, one more thing here. Let's get to it quickly.

There's a Republican by the name of Cliff Stearns. He's proposing the following Drug-Free Sports Act. And in that Act, he considers a two year suspension for first offense, a lifetime ban for second offense, leagues that don't comply fined at least $5 million and the commerce secretary would oversee these rules.

Do you see something like that happening, Steve?

COURSON: I think it would be difficult to have that happen. This depends, on, you know, basically how seriously the government feels about this. But then again, I don't believe that a lot of the sports leagues are going to want to necessarily have their drug testing run by a central authority.

We're going to have to wait and see on that. HEMMER: Yes. I know your health issue in the past has been your heart.

How are you doing today?

COURSON: I'm doing great. As a matter of fact, these days I teach health and fitness technologies, the same thing that I used to beat a heart transplant list. As a matter of fact, I did a treadmill not too long ago equal to what I did during my Steeler days.

HEMMER: Not bad.

COURSON: So I'm feeling very good.

HEMMER: Steve Courson, former NFL lineman.

We'll be watching from here today with that hearing.

Thanks for your time.

COURSON: Thank you.

HEMMER: Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill, thanks.

Let's show you some pictures now. This is that giant Airbus, that super sized plane, making a pass over Toulouse, France. It took off from there early this morning, so it's been in the air for just about four hours. Crowds of folks have been below it. You can't see it in the shot, but watching the progress of this flight they were a little delayed this morning. We got to see a perfect takeoff and eventually we'll get a chance to see, hopefully, a perfect landing later today.

Time to take a look at the weather this morning.

Chad Myers is over at the CNN Center -- hey, Chad, they look like they're having nice weather for a little flight there.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Perfect weather in France. The only really way to figure that plane out is to see two planes side-by- side, to see the 747 and that plane side-by-side, to see how much bigger that plane must be, because you just -- you can't get a feel for it just shooting it in the sky.

There is a plane below it. And I'd love to know what that little plane is, because I mean obviously it has to be like an R.J. jet or something, or maybe even a little Cessna. But oh my goodness, that is, it's just a huge plane.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment here, our special series on retirement continues today. It's called "Never Too Late." How to pick the perfect place to live out your golden years and why that condo in Florida is not always the best choice.

O'BRIEN: Plus, buried treasure worth thousands of dollars found in the back yard. The story behind the discovery of a lifetime, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: So you're thinking about retiring. Well, what do you need to consider before choosing a place to live out your golden years? It is the question that we're tackling in our retirement series, "Never Too Late."

CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here -- good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Well, a career in the U.S. Air Force meant Robbie Risner and his wife Dot had little choice about where to live while he was working. But when it came to retirement, they could move anywhere and they made a choice that marks a shift in how many people are spending the post- work phase of their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROBBIE RISNER, SAN ANTONIO RETIREE: I don't think immediately of anything we dislike about San Antonio.

WILLIS (voice-over): San Antonio, Texas is a place that Robbie and Dot Risner already knew and loved. As a city, it wasn't the kind of place where they ever thought they'd retire. But the more they thought about it, the better it sounded.

DOT RISNER, RETIREE: There are lots of good places to eat here and we do that a lot. We go out for dinner a lot. And the river walk is such a big attraction. When people come to visit us, the first thing they want to do is go to the river walk. The children like Six Flags. So they have things to offer for all ages.

WILLIS: Today, more people are deciding that traditional retirement communities aren't right for them. Many baby boomers want to live in a more active environment.

PROFESSOR WARREN BLAND, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY: Now there's a greater interest in recreational opportunities beyond the, you know, playing golf and things like that. People are living longer and they're going to probably be in their retirement spot for 20 or 30 years.

WILLIS: Robbie and Dot's first concern when choosing a place to retire was access to good medical care.

D. RISNER: It's hard to beat BAMC, which is Brooks Army Medical Center. And it's huge. And they have such good care there for all of us. WILLIS: San Antonio is one of many American cities, including Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado, that offer retirees a high quality of life with a low cost of living, and top notch health care, unlike some better established Sun Belt destinations.

BLAND: Well, let's say you pick a retirement area in southern Florida. You might find it's become expensive, crowded, perhaps less desirable after only a few years of living there.

D. RISNER: We were a little apprehensive about living in a big community of people all the time. We thought it would be so bustly and busy and all. But the people are what make this so desirable.

R. RISNER: They have a 24-hour heated swimming pool, a woodworking shop, all kinds of things, party rooms, dance floors. There's so many things help you live your retirement years and enjoy them.

WILLIS: So far, retirement in San Antonio has exceeded all of the Risners' expectations.

R. RISNER: Without knowing it early on, it is.

D. RISNER: That's right. We couldn't have designed it any better, but we wouldn't have known to have asked for it.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS: Bottom line, you have to look beyond the obvious choices for retirement. Picking a city, obviously, with a lower cost of living will help you get more out of your retirement.

O'BRIEN: Areas to avoid?

WILLIS: Well, this is interesting. What are some of the areas you should get away from? It's the traditional resort areas -- south Florida, Arizona. They're suffering from tremendous growth and that puts a strain on public services and raises the cost of living.

Another interesting idea we found, moving where your children live is a big mistake. Most Americans move several times during their life. Your children may move away, leave you behind. Stay away from the country. You won't get health care.

O'BRIEN: Huh, interesting points. Yes, she talked a little bit about how she really liked being next to that big medical facility.

But can the average American afford to live like the Risners live, this active adult community? I mean isn't that expensive?

WILLIS: Well, you'd be surprised. These communities will charge monthly fess for all the services they provide, but it may end up costing the same or even less than buying those services, such as home security and house cleaning, on your own.

O'BRIEN: But, you know, and they're active adult communities, meaning you have to be active.

What happens as you age, you get older and you get sicker...

WILLIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And suddenly you can't really take care of yourself anymore? What's the next phase after that?

WILLIS: Well, that's the next problem. Most active adult communities will require you to move to a nursing home. You'll have to leave if you can't live independently.

O'BRIEN: What are you talking about tomorrow?

WILLIS: Well, we've got whiz kids on board. We'll look at young adults who are getting an early start on their retirement planning.

O'BRIEN: Oh, very nice.

Gerri, I thank you very much.

Much more on the retirement series. Go right to the Web, cnn.com/am -- Bill.

HEMMER: Watching Toulouse, France right now, Soledad. This is the super jumbo just landing after about a four hour flight. Historical, too. 10 years and $13 billion to develop this aircraft. It seats 555 people. There are four different aisles that go down the center part of this plane. Now landing after a successful flight today from France.

Important news this morning for thousands of breast cancer patients. Researchers may have found a new use for a not so new cancer drug. That's ahead when we continue right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

The Question of the Day is about Social Security, or lack of security there -- good morning.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

President Bush's two month odyssey aimed at convincing the country to restructure Social Security is coming to an end and apparently so is any chance of him succeeding in this. Yesterday, a Senate Finance Committee meeting on the president's plan made it clear that privatization is going nowhere, at least not right now. Democrats continue to be opposed. Some Republicans are also now opposed.

So the question is since the government is not doing anything about this and the system will run out of money at some point, what would you do about Social Security? Ann in Slatedale, Pennsylvania: "This is one of the times where the government should do what they do best -- raise the amount of Social Security tax taken out of paychecks. Considering everyone will one day benefit from this tax increase, there shouldn't be too many complaints."

Brenda says: "I worked 48 years. I'm very proud of my check. To fix it is to leave it alone."

Karen in Virginia writes: "You want Congress to show courage on Social Security? Abolish the cushy plan Congress has for itself. Put them on Social Security, on the same boat as the rest of us, and watch them turn it into the finest luxury liner on the planet."

And Randy in Sudbury, Ontario: "Jack, the only way to fix Social Security, take your Patsy Cline and Hank Snow albums and play them backwards. Then you'll get your old dog back, your house back, your wife back and every cent you ever paid into Social Security back."

HEMMER: Nice.

CAFFERTY: I'm going to go home and try that.

HEMMER: Yes. Get back to us.

O'BRIEN: Yes, let us know if it works.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

A simple landscaping job turns out a lot more lucrative than anyone had expected. Buried treasure found in an ordinary backyard. And the men who made the discovery will be with us momentarily on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 27, 2005 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: One day old -- the incredible story of the surrogate quintuplets this morning. The doctor who delivered them into the world tells us how the five baby boys are doing.
The former NFL lineman who admits he used steroids when he was playing. What he's going to tell Congress today in round two of the steroid hearings.

And in the Michael Jackson trial, the singer's ex-wife is now about to testify. But will she be allowed to tell all?

On this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone.

Good morning.

8:00 here in New York.

An incredible story out of Colorado yesterday, a story of survival, too, about a skiing trip and a man named Charlie Horton. He broke his leg and went eight days without any food or water. And wait until you hear how he survived. We'll talk about that in a few moments.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, the best places in the country for a great retirement, places that you might not have even thought about. Gerri Willis has part three of her series on retirement ahead this morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is Cedar Grove, New Jersey on that list?

O'BRIEN: You're not retired.

CAFFERTY: Coming up in "The Cafferty File," Wednesday, time for "Things People Say."

New Mexico's governor on why he never used steroids.

Rocker Ted Nugent calls for doing away with trials.

A town that forgot to print the ballots for its local election.

And a yawn costs a man $1,000.

O'BRIEN: Ooh. It looks like a good "File" this morning, Jack.

HEMMER: Worth getting up for.

CAFFERTY: It's exciting.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

To the headlines.

Here's Carol with us -- Carol, hello.

Good morning.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

And good morning to all of you.

CAFFERTY: Scintillating.

COSTELLO: Prosecutors winding up their case against Michael Jackson with testimony from one of his exes. Debbie Rowe, the mother of two of Jackson's three children, is set to take the stand today. Rowe is expected to say Jackson bribed her into doing a highly scripted interview. She is now suing the pop star for more contact with her children.

A CNN "Security Watch" now. U.S. chemical plants vulnerable to terrorist attacks. That's what President Bush's former homeland security adviser is expected to tell Congress later today. He's expected to urge lawmakers to develop safety standards and quit relying on chemical plants to voluntarily beef up their own safety measures. But testimony when it happens. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Critics in Florida say a new gun bill will turn the state into the wild, wild West. At issue, a measure Governor Jeb Bush signed Tuesday allowing gun owners to meet force with force, both at work and on public streets. The National Rifle Association is planning to push for similar bills across the country. Florida's new law takes effect in October.

The Airbus A380 is set to wind up its historic flight this hour. The world's largest passenger jet took off in southern France early this morning. The double-decker has more than 500 seats and the wings are so big, you could park 70 cars on top of them. Airbus hopes to have the plane ready for passengers next year.

And call him the Bronx Bomber. Alex Rodriguez, A-Rod, one shy of a 1936 record. The Yankees' A-Rod crushed three home runs, drove in 10 runs Tuesday, to lead his team to a 12-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. He's two RBIs shy of the all time record, which will be in the National League. But I guess his batting average went from like .275 up to over .300.

HEMMER: That'll do it.

O'BRIEN: It was a good game.

COSTELLO: He had a good night.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: Keep the Yankee fans happy for about 24 hours.

COSTELLO: Until they lose their next game, yes.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

HEMMER: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Well, a surrogate mom hoping to give a child, this couple, a baby of their own, gives birth not to one, not to two or three or four, but give baby boys all at once.

Joining us this morning is Dr. John Elliott.

He's in our Chicago bureau this morning.

He is the obstetrician who brought in the whole brood.

Good morning to you, sir.

Thanks for talking with us this morning.

DR. JOHN ELLIOTT: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The babies weighing between 3.7 pounds and 3.15 pounds. That's sounds nice sized for quintuplets, especially.

Are you happy with how the whole thing went?

ELLIOTT: You know, our goal was to get her to 34 weeks and we got to 33 weeks, which is going to be great for these babies. The average quintuple pregnancy gets to 28 weeks, which is 12 weeks prior to full term for a singleton. So we were able to get five extra weeks for these babies and with the baby with the heart defects, that was life saving for him, for Javier.

O'BRIEN: Do you break it up into teams, too, that each baby have a team that it was sort of whisked off to when it was delivered? And how many people were in the operating room then?

ELLIOTT: Well, there were -- I didn't count them exactly, but I think about 25 people were in there. Our neonatal division of our practice, we had four neonatologists, high risk baby specialists, present. And we had two nurses for each baby. So really we had three people on the team for each baby. So a lot of people concerned with caring for them.

O'BRIEN: And just a lot of people in that room.

The smallest baby who was delivered, who I think was Javier, there were concerns that he would have to go right into surgery and he didn't have to. He's got this congenital heart defect.

What exactly is his prognosis?

ELLIOTT: Well, he's got a defect in his heart that is going to be needing surgery to correct. It's going to be difficult for him because he's small. And the surgery is going to be very difficult and there is a definite mortality with the surgery. So not every baby makes it. It's approximated that he's got probably a 33 percent chance of making it through the surgery.

So we're all very happy that he's going to do well. We thought he was going to need to have a cardiac catheterization yesterday at the time of delivery and a temporary procedure performed just to allow him to get to the formal surgery. But he was strong and he didn't need that.

O'BRIEN: Hopefully that'll bear out through the surgery later, as well.

Tell me a little bit about the patient. We know the parents are obviously overjoyed. We've seen them crying as they talk about their babies. But Teresa Anderson -- she is the gal who really did all the hard work in this.

Did she surprise you with her fortitude and her attitude?

ELLIOTT: Truly, it was an amazing experience. I don't -- I know Teresa didn't know what she was getting herself into when she first found out she was carrying five and then had to make the decision to continue with the pregnancy and to carry five babies. She then kind of backtracked on her initial contract with the Morenos, where she was going to be paid $15,000 to be a surrogate and carry one baby for them. And she very graciously and generously decided that they needed the money more than she and her family did. And so she said no, I won't take the money.

So here's a woman that really put herself on the line. A very, very difficult pregnancy. She had two little girls three and four years old that obviously needed their mother. And she was able to stay at home for 32 weeks of the pregnancy. Most quintuplets are in the hospital much, much earlier than that.

O'BRIEN: And not a lot of moms can...

ELLIOTT: So she was able to...

O'BRIEN: Not a lot of moms -- forgive me for jumping in there. But not a lot of moms to be can walk into the delivery room when they're having twins or triplets.

Did she walk in? Is that right, for the quintuplets?

ELLIOTT: She did. She was on medication to stop pre-term labor and that medication makes your -- it relaxes muscle and so it made her actually quite weak. And yet she decided she wanted to walk into the delivery room. So she got up out of her bed and walked in and got on the delivery table herself. That's kind of Teresa doing her own thing.

O'BRIEN: Dr. John Elliott joining us this morning.

Nice to see you.

Thank you.

Congratulations to you and your team.

And, of course, our best wishes for the family, as well.

ELLIOTT: Thank you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill.

HEMMER: A sweet story.

Baseball and steroids were the focus of this congressional hearing about a month ago. Today, that committee turns its attention to football. NFL officials, including the commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, testify before the House Government Reform Committee at 10:00 a.m. That panel is considering new laws regulating drug testing in professional sports.

And former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Steve Courson will be the only player to testify today. He says his own steroid use 25 years ago triggered health problems.

And Steve Courson is my guest in D.C.

Good morning to you.

STEVE COURSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: You have made a pretty incredible statement. Twenty- five years ago you're saying 65 percent to 95 percent of NFL players were on steroids.

You still believe that?

COURSON: Well, I think that kind of was representative more of the line of scrimmage positions. Today it's very hard to tell what the percentages are. I've been out of the game for almost 20 years. So I'm not around these guys. I don't train with them. But we do know about some of the loopholes in drug testing and we also know about the Carolina Panther situation. So you'd have to be pretty naive to believe that there wasn't some drug use in football, as well as other sports. HEMMER: Yes, the Carolina situation goes back to 2003. A crabbers report uncovered a few of these guys who went and got steroids before the Super Bowl. That clears that story.

But go back to what you're talking about based on your own playing days.

You're talking about offensive linemen, defensive linemen, not everybody on the field?

COURSON: No, it was very prevalent in the line of scrimmage positions. There have been numerous marquis linemen from my period, such as Lyle Alzado and Howie Long, Bill Fralick (ph), Joe Klecko, who have made statements of the percentages that ranged between 50 and 90 percent.

So the unanimity of those statements has to speak to that there was a competitive dilemma there.

HEMMER: Do you think there's a role for government in this? Because the one thing we talked about with the baseball story about a month ago was that the baseball players were, by and large, they were against any form of government intervention.

COURSON: Well, I think one thing that we've seen with the NFL, and you have to give them credit, the NFL with their testing program has been very proactive and basically has instituted the strictest and most stringent testing policy in professional sports. The question is, I guess, is it enough?

HEMMER: Yes.

Why are you the only one testifying, Steve?

COURSON: I was asked to testify. Basically, I've been asked to testify on three issues. Number one, on the health effects. Number two, and probably the most important issue in my mind is the problem with our youth. And thirdly on my views on the NFL today.

HEMMER: Yes, one more thing here. Let's get to it quickly.

There's a Republican by the name of Cliff Stearns. He's proposing the following Drug-Free Sports Act. And in that Act, he considers a two year suspension for first offense, a lifetime ban for second offense, leagues that don't comply fined at least $5 million and the commerce secretary would oversee these rules.

Do you see something like that happening, Steve?

COURSON: I think it would be difficult to have that happen. This depends, on, you know, basically how seriously the government feels about this. But then again, I don't believe that a lot of the sports leagues are going to want to necessarily have their drug testing run by a central authority.

We're going to have to wait and see on that. HEMMER: Yes. I know your health issue in the past has been your heart.

How are you doing today?

COURSON: I'm doing great. As a matter of fact, these days I teach health and fitness technologies, the same thing that I used to beat a heart transplant list. As a matter of fact, I did a treadmill not too long ago equal to what I did during my Steeler days.

HEMMER: Not bad.

COURSON: So I'm feeling very good.

HEMMER: Steve Courson, former NFL lineman.

We'll be watching from here today with that hearing.

Thanks for your time.

COURSON: Thank you.

HEMMER: Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Bill, thanks.

Let's show you some pictures now. This is that giant Airbus, that super sized plane, making a pass over Toulouse, France. It took off from there early this morning, so it's been in the air for just about four hours. Crowds of folks have been below it. You can't see it in the shot, but watching the progress of this flight they were a little delayed this morning. We got to see a perfect takeoff and eventually we'll get a chance to see, hopefully, a perfect landing later today.

Time to take a look at the weather this morning.

Chad Myers is over at the CNN Center -- hey, Chad, they look like they're having nice weather for a little flight there.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Perfect weather in France. The only really way to figure that plane out is to see two planes side-by- side, to see the 747 and that plane side-by-side, to see how much bigger that plane must be, because you just -- you can't get a feel for it just shooting it in the sky.

There is a plane below it. And I'd love to know what that little plane is, because I mean obviously it has to be like an R.J. jet or something, or maybe even a little Cessna. But oh my goodness, that is, it's just a huge plane.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: In a moment here, our special series on retirement continues today. It's called "Never Too Late." How to pick the perfect place to live out your golden years and why that condo in Florida is not always the best choice.

O'BRIEN: Plus, buried treasure worth thousands of dollars found in the back yard. The story behind the discovery of a lifetime, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: So you're thinking about retiring. Well, what do you need to consider before choosing a place to live out your golden years? It is the question that we're tackling in our retirement series, "Never Too Late."

CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis is here -- good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Well, a career in the U.S. Air Force meant Robbie Risner and his wife Dot had little choice about where to live while he was working. But when it came to retirement, they could move anywhere and they made a choice that marks a shift in how many people are spending the post- work phase of their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROBBIE RISNER, SAN ANTONIO RETIREE: I don't think immediately of anything we dislike about San Antonio.

WILLIS (voice-over): San Antonio, Texas is a place that Robbie and Dot Risner already knew and loved. As a city, it wasn't the kind of place where they ever thought they'd retire. But the more they thought about it, the better it sounded.

DOT RISNER, RETIREE: There are lots of good places to eat here and we do that a lot. We go out for dinner a lot. And the river walk is such a big attraction. When people come to visit us, the first thing they want to do is go to the river walk. The children like Six Flags. So they have things to offer for all ages.

WILLIS: Today, more people are deciding that traditional retirement communities aren't right for them. Many baby boomers want to live in a more active environment.

PROFESSOR WARREN BLAND, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY: Now there's a greater interest in recreational opportunities beyond the, you know, playing golf and things like that. People are living longer and they're going to probably be in their retirement spot for 20 or 30 years.

WILLIS: Robbie and Dot's first concern when choosing a place to retire was access to good medical care.

D. RISNER: It's hard to beat BAMC, which is Brooks Army Medical Center. And it's huge. And they have such good care there for all of us. WILLIS: San Antonio is one of many American cities, including Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado, that offer retirees a high quality of life with a low cost of living, and top notch health care, unlike some better established Sun Belt destinations.

BLAND: Well, let's say you pick a retirement area in southern Florida. You might find it's become expensive, crowded, perhaps less desirable after only a few years of living there.

D. RISNER: We were a little apprehensive about living in a big community of people all the time. We thought it would be so bustly and busy and all. But the people are what make this so desirable.

R. RISNER: They have a 24-hour heated swimming pool, a woodworking shop, all kinds of things, party rooms, dance floors. There's so many things help you live your retirement years and enjoy them.

WILLIS: So far, retirement in San Antonio has exceeded all of the Risners' expectations.

R. RISNER: Without knowing it early on, it is.

D. RISNER: That's right. We couldn't have designed it any better, but we wouldn't have known to have asked for it.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WILLIS: Bottom line, you have to look beyond the obvious choices for retirement. Picking a city, obviously, with a lower cost of living will help you get more out of your retirement.

O'BRIEN: Areas to avoid?

WILLIS: Well, this is interesting. What are some of the areas you should get away from? It's the traditional resort areas -- south Florida, Arizona. They're suffering from tremendous growth and that puts a strain on public services and raises the cost of living.

Another interesting idea we found, moving where your children live is a big mistake. Most Americans move several times during their life. Your children may move away, leave you behind. Stay away from the country. You won't get health care.

O'BRIEN: Huh, interesting points. Yes, she talked a little bit about how she really liked being next to that big medical facility.

But can the average American afford to live like the Risners live, this active adult community? I mean isn't that expensive?

WILLIS: Well, you'd be surprised. These communities will charge monthly fess for all the services they provide, but it may end up costing the same or even less than buying those services, such as home security and house cleaning, on your own.

O'BRIEN: But, you know, and they're active adult communities, meaning you have to be active.

What happens as you age, you get older and you get sicker...

WILLIS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: And suddenly you can't really take care of yourself anymore? What's the next phase after that?

WILLIS: Well, that's the next problem. Most active adult communities will require you to move to a nursing home. You'll have to leave if you can't live independently.

O'BRIEN: What are you talking about tomorrow?

WILLIS: Well, we've got whiz kids on board. We'll look at young adults who are getting an early start on their retirement planning.

O'BRIEN: Oh, very nice.

Gerri, I thank you very much.

Much more on the retirement series. Go right to the Web, cnn.com/am -- Bill.

HEMMER: Watching Toulouse, France right now, Soledad. This is the super jumbo just landing after about a four hour flight. Historical, too. 10 years and $13 billion to develop this aircraft. It seats 555 people. There are four different aisles that go down the center part of this plane. Now landing after a successful flight today from France.

Important news this morning for thousands of breast cancer patients. Researchers may have found a new use for a not so new cancer drug. That's ahead when we continue right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.

The Question of the Day is about Social Security, or lack of security there -- good morning.

CAFFERTY: There you go.

President Bush's two month odyssey aimed at convincing the country to restructure Social Security is coming to an end and apparently so is any chance of him succeeding in this. Yesterday, a Senate Finance Committee meeting on the president's plan made it clear that privatization is going nowhere, at least not right now. Democrats continue to be opposed. Some Republicans are also now opposed.

So the question is since the government is not doing anything about this and the system will run out of money at some point, what would you do about Social Security? Ann in Slatedale, Pennsylvania: "This is one of the times where the government should do what they do best -- raise the amount of Social Security tax taken out of paychecks. Considering everyone will one day benefit from this tax increase, there shouldn't be too many complaints."

Brenda says: "I worked 48 years. I'm very proud of my check. To fix it is to leave it alone."

Karen in Virginia writes: "You want Congress to show courage on Social Security? Abolish the cushy plan Congress has for itself. Put them on Social Security, on the same boat as the rest of us, and watch them turn it into the finest luxury liner on the planet."

And Randy in Sudbury, Ontario: "Jack, the only way to fix Social Security, take your Patsy Cline and Hank Snow albums and play them backwards. Then you'll get your old dog back, your house back, your wife back and every cent you ever paid into Social Security back."

HEMMER: Nice.

CAFFERTY: I'm going to go home and try that.

HEMMER: Yes. Get back to us.

O'BRIEN: Yes, let us know if it works.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

A simple landscaping job turns out a lot more lucrative than anyone had expected. Buried treasure found in an ordinary backyard. And the men who made the discovery will be with us momentarily on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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