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British Inquiry Finds No Deliberate Distortion of Iraqi Intelligence; Interview With Tony Kanaan

Aired July 14, 2004 - 15:00   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, President Bush has lost a battle in the fight over same-sex marriage. Today, a Republican push to ban the practice through a constitutional amendment fell flat in the U.S. Senate. CNN's Ed Henry will be along with "INSIDE POLITICS" to explain what happened.
Waiting to return home, U.S. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is still at a U.S. military base in Germany. U.S. officials have delayed his departure for a day. Reports that Hassoun was kidnapped, then released in Iraq, are being investigated by the military. Upon his return, he'll be taken to the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia.

The worst violence in Iraq since the return of sovereignty. A provincial governor in Northern Iraq and two bodyguards were killed in an ambush. Earlier, a suicide car bombing in Baghdad killed 10 people and injured 40, including a U.S. soldier.

We're keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's a riddle for you, not entirely true, but not exactly lies. The black-and-white world of spy vs. spy meets a gray reality with a new look at pre-Iraq war intelligence from Britain. An independent panel finds British claims of Saddam Hussein's war-making capabilities off the mark, but not intentionally exaggerated.

CNN's Robin Oakley reports from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was, in the end, no silver bullet to bring down Tony Blair. Sources for some of the British intelligence on Iraq, said Lord Butler, was seriously flawed or have later proved to be unreliable. Saddam Hussein did not have, his report declared, significant, if any, stocks of chemical or biological weapons when the war began.

But there was, said, Lord Butler, no evidence of deliberate distortion or culpable negligence, not embellishment of intelligence to suit political purposes.

LORD FREDERICK BUTLER, LEADER OF U.K. INTEL INQUIRY: We found no evidence to question the prime minister's good faith.

OAKLEY: As for the claim that Saddam Hussein could unleash weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes, Lord Butler criticized the Blair government and the Joint Intelligence Committee for producing a report that had stripped out necessary warnings about the limitations of the intelligence.

BUTLER: Language in the dossier and used by the prime minister may have left readers with the impression that there was fuller and firmer intelligence than was the case. It was a serious weakness.

OAKLEY: Assessment and advocacy, intelligence and politics, said Lord Butler, should in future be more carefully separated.

BUTLER: Publication of such a document in the name and with the authority of the Joint Intelligence Committee have the result that more weight was placed on the intelligence that it could bear.

OAKLEY: In Parliament, a relieved prime minister relished the report's findings.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: No one lied. No one made up the intelligence. No one inserted things into the dossier against the advice of the intelligence services. Everyone genuinely tried to do their best in good faith for the country in circumstance of acute difficulty.

OAKLEY: But while he was ready to accept responsibilities for any mistakes, there was once again no question of any apology for the war.

BLAIR: But I cannot honestly say that I believe getting rid of Saddam was a mistake at all.

OAKLEY (on camera): It was the fourth and Mr. Blair will hope the final inquiry into the events surrounding the Iraq war. Once again, he's been officially cleared of massaging intelligence. But lawmakers concede that a further public reminder of how he made the case for war on those still missing weapons of mass destruction is hardly likely to improve overnight the prime minister's drooping opinion poll ratings.

Robin Oakley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Other news across America now.

A high-seas rescue off the Florida coast. The Coast Guard has pulled to safety 14 migrants off the Saint Petersburg, Florida, coast. Officials say the migrants ended up in the water after their boat capsized. Three bodies have been recovered. As many as 15 people are still missing.

The original Heisman Trophy is going up for sale. The Florida family that owns the Heisman is selling it for about $1.25 million. The family has already lined up influential sports and business people to place bids.

LIN: A detective who testified about some key evidence in the Scott Peterson trial returns to the stand today.

Our Rusty Dornin is covering the trial live in Redwood City, California.

Rusty, this is a detective who has taken quite a beating in this trial.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

But, first, some things that happened this morning that were very interesting, Carol. Defense attorney Mark Geragos filed a motion to dismiss charges against his client, Scott Peterson, alleging prosecutorial misconduct. Now, the judge apparently was going to keep the doors closed on that hearing and not allow the public or the press to hear it. But after hearing arguments from media attorneys, he decided to allow the hearing to go forward in public without the jury in two weeks.

This morning, the judge, without the jury, heard and saw the videotaped interview that Scott Peterson did with Diane Sawyer, where he cried during the interview. He said that he had told police about his affair with Amber Frey and that he had said he had also told his wife, Laci Peterson, about the affair. Police investigators have testified recently that he did not mention anything about that affair.

Also, tomorrow afternoon, Ted Rowlands, CNN's own Ted Rowlands, his interview with Scott Peterson will be shown to the judge to decide also whether that will be admitted and whether the jury will indeed see that.

When the jury does come back this afternoon, it will be Detective Dodge Hendee. He found a lot of the key evidence implicating Scott Peterson in this case. He found suspected blood spots in his truck. We have never heard what the results of those were. But he also found a cement anchor in his boat and signs that Peterson possibly may have made other anchors. Prosecutors of course are alleging that he used those weights to weight down his wife's body after he ferried it out onto San Francisco Bay.

The cross-examination of Hendee is expected to take most of today, tomorrow and Monday. So it's going to be likely there will be some fireworks in the courtroom -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Rusty.

In the meantime -- oh, we're going to move on to some other news with Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, tough criticism for the United States at the International AIDS Conference in Thailand. Protesters accused the U.S. of lying about its AIDS policy and putting the conference too low on its global priority list.

Dr. -- our doctor, now -- Sanjay Gupta reports from Bangkok.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PROTESTERS: Bush lies! People die, 30 million now!

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States doesn't typically get a very warm welcome at the International AIDS Conference. Secretary Thompson gave a speech two years ago. You couldn't hear a word of it. His aids chief, Randall Tobias, was sent this time around, and was benched in less than two minutes. He did ultimately finish his speech, but the criticism was heard loud and clear. Many critics accuse the U.S. of barely showing up at the aids conference.

LAURIE GARRETT, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: AWOL, absent without...

GUPTA (on camera): Didn't show up? GARRETT: Didn't show up.

(voice-over): Two years ago, the U.S. sent 230 people. This year, only 50.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... cost issue and it was also a relevance issue of trying to make a call of what is the most appropriate use of the resources that are valuable and who really needs to be here.

GUPTA (on camera): It's costly, they say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much does it cost to send one person over? $4,000, $5,000? How much does it cost to send -- how much did it cost to send Tommy Thompson on a tour of Africa? Two, three hundred thousand dollars? I think that's not an argument.

GUPTA (voice-over): The U.S. cannot be accused of not spending money. The pledge of $15 billion over five years to fight AIDS in other countries is the largest of any nation.

But it's more of a question as to where the money can be spent. For instance, the money cannot be used to purchase most generic drugs. That's accord to the government's own accounting office. U.S. officials say the drugs must meet FDA approval before they pay for them. That's a process that could take years.

Critics charge this is no different than setting up a slush fund for U.S. drug companies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are making that up. We're talking two to six weeks.

GUPTA: And there is the injection of morality into monetary decision. Abstinence only programs given preferential funding, also draws criticism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are people who, here at this conference who have wanted to characterize the president's emergency plan as being opposed to condoms. And that's simply not true.

GUPTA (on camera): And the criticism coming not just from protester. President Chirac of France accused the United States of promoting brand name drugs over generics to developing countries. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the money the United States spent on Iraq should have been spent on AIDS instead.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a very special teenager and a Formula 1 race car driver turn into quite a winning team. Just ahead on LIVE FROM, how a man with a need for speed finds way to drive himself and a young girl struggling to regain her health across the finish line together.

LIN: And later, how to avoid some hidden charges when you're plunking down the plastic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: As you know, race day for a driver is all about concentration, focus and many times superstition. Driver Tony Kanaan can identify with that. He's always focused and he's never taken off his good luck charm until now.

Now, before the Indy 500 this year, Kanaan decided there was someone else who needed his good luck charm far more than he did. Her name is Andrea Braun. And when Kanaan first met her, she was in a coma, her parents by her side praying for all the good luck in the world. Andrea's look sure did change. That's why she, her mother, Sharon, and Tony Kanaan are with us today.

And hello to all of you.

Andrea, let's start with you. Take us back to your sister's prom day and tell us what happened.

SHARON BRAUN, MOTHER OF ANDREA: Tell her what happened.

ANDREA BRAUN, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: I went to my sister's softball game. Well, I was dressing for varsity. And she's on the varsity team. And I got to dress that day.

And then I came home. And my sister was having -- well, they were getting ready. She was having friends over for dinner before prom. And I was helping my mom get ready for that. And then I got a really bad headache and I went back to lay down. And then I came back out and I started to cry and I was holding my head, saying that it hurt very bad.

And then that's when I started to get -- I started to vomit. And they took me to the hospital. And I went to the E.R., where the doctors did very critical things. And they actually took someone out of the CAT scan that was in there and put me in. And that is when they realized that I had -- my brain was bleeding.

So they took me up to Lutheran Hospital up in Fort Wayne. And from -- they stabilized me there. And then from there, I took a helicopter down to Indianapolis to Methodist Hospital.

PHILLIPS: Now, we're looking at pictures, Andrea, of you in the hospital. It's pretty scary, when you can see these pictures.

Sharon, I bet as a mother, my gosh, what was going through your mind and how did you stay calm through this, when you found out that your daughter was having a brain hemorrhage?

S. BRAUN: Well, first, denial, you know, this can't be happening. She's such a healthy kid. But, within a short day or two, I don't know how to explain it. I just felt a sense that she was going to be OK. We had a lot of people supporting us, a lot of people in our community praying for us. And I knew it was going to be a long haul, and she was very sick and we had ups and downs. But I just felt like it was going to turn out OK.

PHILLIPS: Well, then something very special happened. Here enters Tony Kanaan.

Tony, your dad passed away from cancer, so you've been involved in going to children's hospital and visiting these kids with cancer. A nurse came down and side, Tony, while you're signing autographs, we ask a favor of you. And that is to go up to ICU.

And tell me how that led you to Andrea's room.

TONY KANAAN, INDY RACING LEAGUE DRIVER: Well, first of all, nice to meet you, Andrea.

And, Sharon, you look more nervous today than you're looking in the hospital.

(LAUGHTER)

KANAAN: And, well, it was one of those things.

I was there in the hospital. And I was actually having fun with the kids downstairs. Obviously, they are kids that are being sick with cancer. And my dad died of cancer. So I was just trying to cheer them up, and until somebody took me upstairs. And the first room that I went through was Andrea's. And I don't know why, to be honest with you.

I talked to Sharon and I saw some pictures of Andrea when she was in good health. And it just touched me. And I wanted to do something. I saw how Sharon was touched and how desperate she was to see her daughter like that. And it came a picture in my mind when my dad was laying in the hospital for four years. And I just want to do something to make her feel better. And I couldn't figure out what.

And so, the next day, I had to be on the track and I went in to my locker. And I was dressing, putting my suit on and everything. And I got my good lucky charm that I saw Andrea wearing right now. And I said, well, that's a good idea, so I send it to her. And I'm happy that she's OK now.

PHILLIPS: Now, Tony, how did you get that good luck charm?

KANAAN: My mother gave it to me a long time ago, and just, you know, as a mother, always worry about her crazy son racing cars, and just gave it to me, try to -- she always said, son, you can race, but try to race slow. And I don't think we can do that.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Now, Andrea, as you wear now this good luck charm around your neck that Tony gave you, you were in a coma the time that this happened. So when you came out of that coma, I want to add, that was a week after Tony had given your mom this good luck charm.

How did that make you feel when your mom said to you, you're not going to believe this, but Tony Kanaan came in here and you're wearing his good luck charm?

A. BRAUN: It made me feel very special and felt almost like, I don't know, a superstar. I got have a famous race car driver come visit me and he gave me something of his. And it just felt really special.

PHILLIPS: Now, I understand you wear this for every race. And you watch Tony now when he races.

And, Tony, didn't you win just after you gave this good luck charm to Andrea?

KANAAN: Yes. I guess she needs to keep it because it was more luck maybe without it.

I gave all my luck -- I was wanting to give all my luck to her. And I think it worked. So I definitely want her to keep it, because health is more important than any race, obviously. When you win a race on Sunday, on Monday, everybody forget. So I want her to keep it and keep healthy. And, one day, for sure, we're going to meet in person. And my wife actually is very jealous about you, Andrea. She said you look very good. So I need to work on that one.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Well, and, Sharon, you actually wore this lucky charm while your daughter was in surgery, right, before she came out of the coma?

S. BRAUN: Yes, I wore it for all of her surgeries and her procedures as well. The only time I didn't wear it was when she had an arteriogram to make sure the first surgery was successful. And the results of that arteriogram were not good.

So add a little superstition to the good luck charm, but the one time I didn't wear it, we didn't have a good report.

PHILLIPS: Well, I guess we should set up that this is the first time, Tony, you've seen Andrea since she has come out of the coma.

Andrea, it's first time you've seen Tony. I would like to be able to wrap this up, as Tony is giving you a wonderful wave there.

Tony, final -- what would you like to say to Andrea? And then, Andrea, I want to give you a chance to say something to Tony.

KANAAN: Well, I just want to wish you the best. You can't imagine the way -- I was more tense here than I was ever before in a race just to meet you. And I wish you the best.

And I'm going to get to see you for sure before the end of the year. And I just hope that you don't put any scary stuff on us anymore, especially on your parents, and just keep it healthy. And keep the good luck charm. And the No. 8 on the shirt, it's wrong. It should be 11, Andrea.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: So, now, Andrea, you're going to keep the charm. You're change to No. 11. What do you want to say to Tony?

A. BRAUN: I just want to say thank you very much. And it really meant a lot to me coming to visit me, even though I don't remember it. But -- and following up with everything that you have. And it really means a lot. And you make me feel special.

PHILLIPS: Oh, well, you are special.

KANAAN: Yes, you are.

PHILLIPS: You've been given a second chance at life, Andrea. And your mom, Sharon, what a wonderful support.

Tony Kanaan, I've got to tell you, you represent what every athlete should represent. You are an amazing man.

And I want to thank all three of you for being with us today. What an incredible story.

KANAAN: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM.

And watch Tony Kanaan and root for him now on race day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(FINANCIAL UPDATE)

LIN: All right, that wraps up this Wednesday edition of LIVE FROM.

PHILLIPS: That's right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired July 14, 2004 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, President Bush has lost a battle in the fight over same-sex marriage. Today, a Republican push to ban the practice through a constitutional amendment fell flat in the U.S. Senate. CNN's Ed Henry will be along with "INSIDE POLITICS" to explain what happened.
Waiting to return home, U.S. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is still at a U.S. military base in Germany. U.S. officials have delayed his departure for a day. Reports that Hassoun was kidnapped, then released in Iraq, are being investigated by the military. Upon his return, he'll be taken to the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia.

The worst violence in Iraq since the return of sovereignty. A provincial governor in Northern Iraq and two bodyguards were killed in an ambush. Earlier, a suicide car bombing in Baghdad killed 10 people and injured 40, including a U.S. soldier.

We're keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's a riddle for you, not entirely true, but not exactly lies. The black-and-white world of spy vs. spy meets a gray reality with a new look at pre-Iraq war intelligence from Britain. An independent panel finds British claims of Saddam Hussein's war-making capabilities off the mark, but not intentionally exaggerated.

CNN's Robin Oakley reports from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was, in the end, no silver bullet to bring down Tony Blair. Sources for some of the British intelligence on Iraq, said Lord Butler, was seriously flawed or have later proved to be unreliable. Saddam Hussein did not have, his report declared, significant, if any, stocks of chemical or biological weapons when the war began.

But there was, said, Lord Butler, no evidence of deliberate distortion or culpable negligence, not embellishment of intelligence to suit political purposes.

LORD FREDERICK BUTLER, LEADER OF U.K. INTEL INQUIRY: We found no evidence to question the prime minister's good faith.

OAKLEY: As for the claim that Saddam Hussein could unleash weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes, Lord Butler criticized the Blair government and the Joint Intelligence Committee for producing a report that had stripped out necessary warnings about the limitations of the intelligence.

BUTLER: Language in the dossier and used by the prime minister may have left readers with the impression that there was fuller and firmer intelligence than was the case. It was a serious weakness.

OAKLEY: Assessment and advocacy, intelligence and politics, said Lord Butler, should in future be more carefully separated.

BUTLER: Publication of such a document in the name and with the authority of the Joint Intelligence Committee have the result that more weight was placed on the intelligence that it could bear.

OAKLEY: In Parliament, a relieved prime minister relished the report's findings.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: No one lied. No one made up the intelligence. No one inserted things into the dossier against the advice of the intelligence services. Everyone genuinely tried to do their best in good faith for the country in circumstance of acute difficulty.

OAKLEY: But while he was ready to accept responsibilities for any mistakes, there was once again no question of any apology for the war.

BLAIR: But I cannot honestly say that I believe getting rid of Saddam was a mistake at all.

OAKLEY (on camera): It was the fourth and Mr. Blair will hope the final inquiry into the events surrounding the Iraq war. Once again, he's been officially cleared of massaging intelligence. But lawmakers concede that a further public reminder of how he made the case for war on those still missing weapons of mass destruction is hardly likely to improve overnight the prime minister's drooping opinion poll ratings.

Robin Oakley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Other news across America now.

A high-seas rescue off the Florida coast. The Coast Guard has pulled to safety 14 migrants off the Saint Petersburg, Florida, coast. Officials say the migrants ended up in the water after their boat capsized. Three bodies have been recovered. As many as 15 people are still missing.

The original Heisman Trophy is going up for sale. The Florida family that owns the Heisman is selling it for about $1.25 million. The family has already lined up influential sports and business people to place bids.

LIN: A detective who testified about some key evidence in the Scott Peterson trial returns to the stand today.

Our Rusty Dornin is covering the trial live in Redwood City, California.

Rusty, this is a detective who has taken quite a beating in this trial.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

But, first, some things that happened this morning that were very interesting, Carol. Defense attorney Mark Geragos filed a motion to dismiss charges against his client, Scott Peterson, alleging prosecutorial misconduct. Now, the judge apparently was going to keep the doors closed on that hearing and not allow the public or the press to hear it. But after hearing arguments from media attorneys, he decided to allow the hearing to go forward in public without the jury in two weeks.

This morning, the judge, without the jury, heard and saw the videotaped interview that Scott Peterson did with Diane Sawyer, where he cried during the interview. He said that he had told police about his affair with Amber Frey and that he had said he had also told his wife, Laci Peterson, about the affair. Police investigators have testified recently that he did not mention anything about that affair.

Also, tomorrow afternoon, Ted Rowlands, CNN's own Ted Rowlands, his interview with Scott Peterson will be shown to the judge to decide also whether that will be admitted and whether the jury will indeed see that.

When the jury does come back this afternoon, it will be Detective Dodge Hendee. He found a lot of the key evidence implicating Scott Peterson in this case. He found suspected blood spots in his truck. We have never heard what the results of those were. But he also found a cement anchor in his boat and signs that Peterson possibly may have made other anchors. Prosecutors of course are alleging that he used those weights to weight down his wife's body after he ferried it out onto San Francisco Bay.

The cross-examination of Hendee is expected to take most of today, tomorrow and Monday. So it's going to be likely there will be some fireworks in the courtroom -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Rusty.

In the meantime -- oh, we're going to move on to some other news with Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, tough criticism for the United States at the International AIDS Conference in Thailand. Protesters accused the U.S. of lying about its AIDS policy and putting the conference too low on its global priority list.

Dr. -- our doctor, now -- Sanjay Gupta reports from Bangkok.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PROTESTERS: Bush lies! People die, 30 million now!

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States doesn't typically get a very warm welcome at the International AIDS Conference. Secretary Thompson gave a speech two years ago. You couldn't hear a word of it. His aids chief, Randall Tobias, was sent this time around, and was benched in less than two minutes. He did ultimately finish his speech, but the criticism was heard loud and clear. Many critics accuse the U.S. of barely showing up at the aids conference.

LAURIE GARRETT, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: AWOL, absent without...

GUPTA (on camera): Didn't show up? GARRETT: Didn't show up.

(voice-over): Two years ago, the U.S. sent 230 people. This year, only 50.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... cost issue and it was also a relevance issue of trying to make a call of what is the most appropriate use of the resources that are valuable and who really needs to be here.

GUPTA (on camera): It's costly, they say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much does it cost to send one person over? $4,000, $5,000? How much does it cost to send -- how much did it cost to send Tommy Thompson on a tour of Africa? Two, three hundred thousand dollars? I think that's not an argument.

GUPTA (voice-over): The U.S. cannot be accused of not spending money. The pledge of $15 billion over five years to fight AIDS in other countries is the largest of any nation.

But it's more of a question as to where the money can be spent. For instance, the money cannot be used to purchase most generic drugs. That's accord to the government's own accounting office. U.S. officials say the drugs must meet FDA approval before they pay for them. That's a process that could take years.

Critics charge this is no different than setting up a slush fund for U.S. drug companies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are making that up. We're talking two to six weeks.

GUPTA: And there is the injection of morality into monetary decision. Abstinence only programs given preferential funding, also draws criticism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are people who, here at this conference who have wanted to characterize the president's emergency plan as being opposed to condoms. And that's simply not true.

GUPTA (on camera): And the criticism coming not just from protester. President Chirac of France accused the United States of promoting brand name drugs over generics to developing countries. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the money the United States spent on Iraq should have been spent on AIDS instead.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a very special teenager and a Formula 1 race car driver turn into quite a winning team. Just ahead on LIVE FROM, how a man with a need for speed finds way to drive himself and a young girl struggling to regain her health across the finish line together.

LIN: And later, how to avoid some hidden charges when you're plunking down the plastic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: As you know, race day for a driver is all about concentration, focus and many times superstition. Driver Tony Kanaan can identify with that. He's always focused and he's never taken off his good luck charm until now.

Now, before the Indy 500 this year, Kanaan decided there was someone else who needed his good luck charm far more than he did. Her name is Andrea Braun. And when Kanaan first met her, she was in a coma, her parents by her side praying for all the good luck in the world. Andrea's look sure did change. That's why she, her mother, Sharon, and Tony Kanaan are with us today.

And hello to all of you.

Andrea, let's start with you. Take us back to your sister's prom day and tell us what happened.

SHARON BRAUN, MOTHER OF ANDREA: Tell her what happened.

ANDREA BRAUN, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: I went to my sister's softball game. Well, I was dressing for varsity. And she's on the varsity team. And I got to dress that day.

And then I came home. And my sister was having -- well, they were getting ready. She was having friends over for dinner before prom. And I was helping my mom get ready for that. And then I got a really bad headache and I went back to lay down. And then I came back out and I started to cry and I was holding my head, saying that it hurt very bad.

And then that's when I started to get -- I started to vomit. And they took me to the hospital. And I went to the E.R., where the doctors did very critical things. And they actually took someone out of the CAT scan that was in there and put me in. And that is when they realized that I had -- my brain was bleeding.

So they took me up to Lutheran Hospital up in Fort Wayne. And from -- they stabilized me there. And then from there, I took a helicopter down to Indianapolis to Methodist Hospital.

PHILLIPS: Now, we're looking at pictures, Andrea, of you in the hospital. It's pretty scary, when you can see these pictures.

Sharon, I bet as a mother, my gosh, what was going through your mind and how did you stay calm through this, when you found out that your daughter was having a brain hemorrhage?

S. BRAUN: Well, first, denial, you know, this can't be happening. She's such a healthy kid. But, within a short day or two, I don't know how to explain it. I just felt a sense that she was going to be OK. We had a lot of people supporting us, a lot of people in our community praying for us. And I knew it was going to be a long haul, and she was very sick and we had ups and downs. But I just felt like it was going to turn out OK.

PHILLIPS: Well, then something very special happened. Here enters Tony Kanaan.

Tony, your dad passed away from cancer, so you've been involved in going to children's hospital and visiting these kids with cancer. A nurse came down and side, Tony, while you're signing autographs, we ask a favor of you. And that is to go up to ICU.

And tell me how that led you to Andrea's room.

TONY KANAAN, INDY RACING LEAGUE DRIVER: Well, first of all, nice to meet you, Andrea.

And, Sharon, you look more nervous today than you're looking in the hospital.

(LAUGHTER)

KANAAN: And, well, it was one of those things.

I was there in the hospital. And I was actually having fun with the kids downstairs. Obviously, they are kids that are being sick with cancer. And my dad died of cancer. So I was just trying to cheer them up, and until somebody took me upstairs. And the first room that I went through was Andrea's. And I don't know why, to be honest with you.

I talked to Sharon and I saw some pictures of Andrea when she was in good health. And it just touched me. And I wanted to do something. I saw how Sharon was touched and how desperate she was to see her daughter like that. And it came a picture in my mind when my dad was laying in the hospital for four years. And I just want to do something to make her feel better. And I couldn't figure out what.

And so, the next day, I had to be on the track and I went in to my locker. And I was dressing, putting my suit on and everything. And I got my good lucky charm that I saw Andrea wearing right now. And I said, well, that's a good idea, so I send it to her. And I'm happy that she's OK now.

PHILLIPS: Now, Tony, how did you get that good luck charm?

KANAAN: My mother gave it to me a long time ago, and just, you know, as a mother, always worry about her crazy son racing cars, and just gave it to me, try to -- she always said, son, you can race, but try to race slow. And I don't think we can do that.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Now, Andrea, as you wear now this good luck charm around your neck that Tony gave you, you were in a coma the time that this happened. So when you came out of that coma, I want to add, that was a week after Tony had given your mom this good luck charm.

How did that make you feel when your mom said to you, you're not going to believe this, but Tony Kanaan came in here and you're wearing his good luck charm?

A. BRAUN: It made me feel very special and felt almost like, I don't know, a superstar. I got have a famous race car driver come visit me and he gave me something of his. And it just felt really special.

PHILLIPS: Now, I understand you wear this for every race. And you watch Tony now when he races.

And, Tony, didn't you win just after you gave this good luck charm to Andrea?

KANAAN: Yes. I guess she needs to keep it because it was more luck maybe without it.

I gave all my luck -- I was wanting to give all my luck to her. And I think it worked. So I definitely want her to keep it, because health is more important than any race, obviously. When you win a race on Sunday, on Monday, everybody forget. So I want her to keep it and keep healthy. And, one day, for sure, we're going to meet in person. And my wife actually is very jealous about you, Andrea. She said you look very good. So I need to work on that one.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Well, and, Sharon, you actually wore this lucky charm while your daughter was in surgery, right, before she came out of the coma?

S. BRAUN: Yes, I wore it for all of her surgeries and her procedures as well. The only time I didn't wear it was when she had an arteriogram to make sure the first surgery was successful. And the results of that arteriogram were not good.

So add a little superstition to the good luck charm, but the one time I didn't wear it, we didn't have a good report.

PHILLIPS: Well, I guess we should set up that this is the first time, Tony, you've seen Andrea since she has come out of the coma.

Andrea, it's first time you've seen Tony. I would like to be able to wrap this up, as Tony is giving you a wonderful wave there.

Tony, final -- what would you like to say to Andrea? And then, Andrea, I want to give you a chance to say something to Tony.

KANAAN: Well, I just want to wish you the best. You can't imagine the way -- I was more tense here than I was ever before in a race just to meet you. And I wish you the best.

And I'm going to get to see you for sure before the end of the year. And I just hope that you don't put any scary stuff on us anymore, especially on your parents, and just keep it healthy. And keep the good luck charm. And the No. 8 on the shirt, it's wrong. It should be 11, Andrea.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: So, now, Andrea, you're going to keep the charm. You're change to No. 11. What do you want to say to Tony?

A. BRAUN: I just want to say thank you very much. And it really meant a lot to me coming to visit me, even though I don't remember it. But -- and following up with everything that you have. And it really means a lot. And you make me feel special.

PHILLIPS: Oh, well, you are special.

KANAAN: Yes, you are.

PHILLIPS: You've been given a second chance at life, Andrea. And your mom, Sharon, what a wonderful support.

Tony Kanaan, I've got to tell you, you represent what every athlete should represent. You are an amazing man.

And I want to thank all three of you for being with us today. What an incredible story.

KANAAN: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right.

We're going to take a quick break. More LIVE FROM.

And watch Tony Kanaan and root for him now on race day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(FINANCIAL UPDATE)

LIN: All right, that wraps up this Wednesday edition of LIVE FROM.

PHILLIPS: That's right.

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