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American Morning

Father's Duty

Aired March 07, 2003 - 07:18   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The latest on the heart-wrenching story of a military family's very difficult decision. Four-month-old Dillon Sellers is clinging to life in a California hospital waiting for a heart transplant. Without it, doctors tell his parents he might die.
But his father, Marine Major Hal Sellers, was called to action in the Middle East, and Major Sellers was forced to choose between a death drama at home or going with his unit.

After much consultation with his family, he chose to go with his unit. He joins us from Kuwait this morning. His wife, Betsy Sellers, joins us from her home in Twentynine Palms, California.

It is so nice to have both of you with us this morning. I know the two of you have not had much of an opportunity to talk with each other since Major Sellers shipped out.

Good morning, Major Sellers. Anything you'd like to say to your wife this morning?

MAJOR HAL SELLERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, I just wish her good morning. I know it's probably fairly early over there, so good morning, and hopefully Dillon is doing well, as are Alex (ph) and Erik (ph).

ZAHN: Betsy, do you want to give us an update on, first of all, Dillon, and then your other two sons?

BETSY SELLERS, SON NEEDS HEART TRANSPLANT: Dillon is doing really well. I spent the day with him yesterday. He was wide awake and alert and playing and sucking on his fingers and took a good rest after a while, and he looked really good.

ZAHN: And what are doctors...

H. SELLERS: That's good.

ZAHN: What are doctors saying about how long he can go on in this state?

B. SELLERS: It's really difficult to tell. Right at the moment, he's doing fairly well. He is free of infection and fairly stable. But the longest that the hospital has ever had a child wait is six months. So Dillon is 4-and-a-half, and they just -- they kind of take it day by day. He could get an infection at any time, and it would really be hard for his body to handle that. ZAHN: Major Sellers, we're looking at some pictures now, some very tender pictures of you holding your very fragile son, and I know we have been overwhelmed by the response to your family's story. People have so much respect for your patriotism and the decision you made, but they also know how difficult it was for you to leave your wife at home with this terrible challenge that your family faces. Help us better understand how you arrived at that decision.

H. SELLERS: Well, obviously it was a difficult decision to make, but in all honesty, there is not a lot I can personally do for my son wherever I'm at. I obviously pray for him and hope he makes -- can hang in there long enough to get a heart to be transplanted. But in terms of my other family, the Marine family, I felt like there was a contribution I could make here with my unit. And in the long run, although a difficult decision, I felt like it was the right decision to deploy with the Marines and to make some kind of a contribution over here.

ZAHN: And as the prospect of war some would say looks much more likely, share with us some of the emotions you're feeling about what you face, and then what your family faces at home.

H. SELLERS: Well, obviously a lot of -- I'm fairly busy here during the days, and I do have time to kind of dwell on my son at night when I'm getting ready to go to sleep. In terms of what we face here, I know that the unit I'm with in the Marine Corps, and I'm sure all of the armed services over here, are very well-trained. We've continued to train, and I think we're as well prepared for anything that the nation asks us to do as we can be, and I'm confident that, you know, should that happen, you know, we will perform well and successfully accomplish whatever mission we're called upon to perform.

ZAHN: I know, Betsy, you so respect the decision your husband made, even though it's making life much more difficult for you. But you say you have an incredible support network, and you, too, have been overwhelmed by well wishes from the American public. Let's close off our conversation this morning with some of what you've heard from people around the country.

B. SELLERS: It has been so heartwarming. Like I said, I was at the hospital yesterday with Dillon. There were balloons by his bed and stuffed animals, and I had a stack of well over 100 e-mails from every state in the country, not only praying for Dillon but thanking my husband and thanking all of the military personnel for serving. And it just -- it made me feel wonderful.

ZAHN: Well, our hearts and prayers are with your family, Betsy Sellers and Major Sellers, and it was so nice to reunite the two of you by telephone today. Good luck to your family. We'll be rooting for you.

H. SELLERS: Thank you very much.

B. SELLERS: Thank you very much.

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 March 7, 2003 - 07:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The latest on the heart-wrenching story of a military family's very difficult decision. Four-month-old Dillon Sellers is clinging to life in a California hospital waiting for a heart transplant. Without it, doctors tell his parents he might die.
But his father, Marine Major Hal Sellers, was called to action in the Middle East, and Major Sellers was forced to choose between a death drama at home or going with his unit.

After much consultation with his family, he chose to go with his unit. He joins us from Kuwait this morning. His wife, Betsy Sellers, joins us from her home in Twentynine Palms, California.

It is so nice to have both of you with us this morning. I know the two of you have not had much of an opportunity to talk with each other since Major Sellers shipped out.

Good morning, Major Sellers. Anything you'd like to say to your wife this morning?

MAJOR HAL SELLERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, I just wish her good morning. I know it's probably fairly early over there, so good morning, and hopefully Dillon is doing well, as are Alex (ph) and Erik (ph).

ZAHN: Betsy, do you want to give us an update on, first of all, Dillon, and then your other two sons?

BETSY SELLERS, SON NEEDS HEART TRANSPLANT: Dillon is doing really well. I spent the day with him yesterday. He was wide awake and alert and playing and sucking on his fingers and took a good rest after a while, and he looked really good.

ZAHN: And what are doctors...

H. SELLERS: That's good.

ZAHN: What are doctors saying about how long he can go on in this state?

B. SELLERS: It's really difficult to tell. Right at the moment, he's doing fairly well. He is free of infection and fairly stable. But the longest that the hospital has ever had a child wait is six months. So Dillon is 4-and-a-half, and they just -- they kind of take it day by day. He could get an infection at any time, and it would really be hard for his body to handle that. ZAHN: Major Sellers, we're looking at some pictures now, some very tender pictures of you holding your very fragile son, and I know we have been overwhelmed by the response to your family's story. People have so much respect for your patriotism and the decision you made, but they also know how difficult it was for you to leave your wife at home with this terrible challenge that your family faces. Help us better understand how you arrived at that decision.

H. SELLERS: Well, obviously it was a difficult decision to make, but in all honesty, there is not a lot I can personally do for my son wherever I'm at. I obviously pray for him and hope he makes -- can hang in there long enough to get a heart to be transplanted. But in terms of my other family, the Marine family, I felt like there was a contribution I could make here with my unit. And in the long run, although a difficult decision, I felt like it was the right decision to deploy with the Marines and to make some kind of a contribution over here.

ZAHN: And as the prospect of war some would say looks much more likely, share with us some of the emotions you're feeling about what you face, and then what your family faces at home.

H. SELLERS: Well, obviously a lot of -- I'm fairly busy here during the days, and I do have time to kind of dwell on my son at night when I'm getting ready to go to sleep. In terms of what we face here, I know that the unit I'm with in the Marine Corps, and I'm sure all of the armed services over here, are very well-trained. We've continued to train, and I think we're as well prepared for anything that the nation asks us to do as we can be, and I'm confident that, you know, should that happen, you know, we will perform well and successfully accomplish whatever mission we're called upon to perform.

ZAHN: I know, Betsy, you so respect the decision your husband made, even though it's making life much more difficult for you. But you say you have an incredible support network, and you, too, have been overwhelmed by well wishes from the American public. Let's close off our conversation this morning with some of what you've heard from people around the country.

B. SELLERS: It has been so heartwarming. Like I said, I was at the hospital yesterday with Dillon. There were balloons by his bed and stuffed animals, and I had a stack of well over 100 e-mails from every state in the country, not only praying for Dillon but thanking my husband and thanking all of the military personnel for serving. And it just -- it made me feel wonderful.

ZAHN: Well, our hearts and prayers are with your family, Betsy Sellers and Major Sellers, and it was so nice to reunite the two of you by telephone today. Good luck to your family. We'll be rooting for you.

H. SELLERS: Thank you very much.

B. SELLERS: Thank you very much.

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