[Caller:] Even though we say it`s a fiction fictitious novel, you know, there are parts that, you know, Dan Brown claims is true.
[Beck:] Right.
[Caller:] So this is like I don`t know, it just plants seeds in people`s minds.
[Beck:] See, I`ve got to tell you, I am not afraid of knowledge. The apple was not a bad thing. The apple brought us where we are. We should not fear questioning. We should embrace questioning. And then you should put it into perspective. Did you see "The Money Pit"? Did that harm your view of homeownership? Actually, it kind of did with me. Earlier today, Captain Scott Southworth was honored in Washington, D.C., with the General MacArthur Leadership Award. This salutes officers who demonstrate the ideals of General MacArthur, which are duty, honor and country. But I think there`s something else that Scott should be recognized for, and that`s for being a father and a real American hero. It`s Monday morning and Scott Southworth is doing what he does every day, getting his son Allah ready for school. A typical routine, just not a typical family.
[Unidentified Male:] It`s not too bad, like yesterday.
[Beck:] It`s hard to believe that less than three years ago, this father and son were strangers.
[Scott Southworth, Adopted Iraqi Child:] We met on September 6 of 2003.
[Beck:] You see, Scott Southworth is a soldier. While stationed in Iraq, he spent much of his free time volunteering at a Baghdad orphanage.
[Southworth:] You`re in a war zone, and you`re seeing so many horrible, terrible things happening. To be able and go and work with those children and see the laughing and the smiling and get a chance to play children`s games with the kids really helped helped bring some levity to all us in that war zone.
[Beck:] And that is exactly where he first laid eyes on Allah.
[Southworth:] He can`t walk, so he pulled himself with his arms all the way over to where I was sitting. And then he grabbed my watch and told me all about the generator and the air conditioner and didn`t want me to leave.
[Beck:] It was in that moment that Scott knew that his life would be forever changed.
[Southworth:] I believe Allah knew immediately that I was his dad, and I think he knew what was going to happen in the end.
[Beck:] And so it went, that Scott Southworth began the process of adopting an Iraqi child. For most people, it would be an insurmountable feat. For Scott Southworth and his soon-to-be son, it was fate.
[Southworth:] We got notification from the U.S. government that humanitarian parole would have been approved, and within just a matter of hours I purchased the plane tickets to fly direct from and back to the United States. And then I went into almost 24-hour mode, working with the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
[Beck:] But bringing Allah to the U.S. was just the beginning. You see, Scott`s a single guy, raising Allah on his own, and Allah has cerebral palsy. The odds were already stacked against them.
[Southworth:] Didn`t have enough money. Not capable of caring for a disabled child with cerebral palsy. Not married yet. Damper on my social life. My career.
[Beck:] Despite all the reasons why not, Scott went with his heart.
[Southworth:] What I realize is that every one of those reasons was an excuse, an excuse that I would have felt very ashamed to give him. And so I decided that if I was going to feel ashamed for eternity and I was going to worry about him every day of my life here on earth, then there was only one option, and that was to go get him.
[Beck:] Raising a child with cerebral palsy presents hardships on any parent. But instead of considering CP as a disability, Scott and Allah chose to embrace it.
[Southworth:] I don`t look at Allah as a disabled child. And Allah doesn`t stigmatize himself as being disabled.
[Beck:] And when people feel sorry for him, he turns it around with a smile.
[Southworth:] We do joke a little bit, you know, try to put some levity for people that give us those sympathizing looks, you know, the "Oh, you know, your poor child is in a wheelchair." And so I always lighten the mood a bit by saying things like, "Well, my child does have cerebral palsy, but his favorite food is broccoli."
[Beck:] Beside their shared taste for veggies, music has become a source of inspiration that Scott and Allah share.
[Southworth:] We really found that being in the church choir, for instance, at Christmastime was just a great thing.
[Beck:] It`s been a couple years now, and Allah`s progress in school is nothing short of remarkable. The other kids have taken a liking to teaching Allah all the things he never learned in Iraq.
[Unidentified Female:] He learned, like, how to add one plus one. And mixing colors, and he knows two of them already. How to tie your shoes and your ABC`s. He`s really fun, and he makes me laugh. It`s nice having him around.
[Beck:] As for Scott`s bachelor status, I think he may have found himself a wingman.
[Southworth:] I remember telling people that he was somewhat of a chick magnet. He`s much better looking than I am, so I think the girls take to him pretty well. I`m just kind of a sidekick.
[Beck:] Forget the obstacles. Forget the hardships. Just spend a little time with this family, and you`ll quickly see you don`t have to be typical to be a family. And every once in awhile, determination and love really can overcome anything.
[Southworth:] We acknowledge that he can`t walk. We acknowledge that he has cerebral palsy. The one thing about our relationship is, is that I accept him for who he is, and he accepts me for who I am.
[Beck:] Jean Smart from "24" will join us in a minute.