me. so i ate it. >> oh. >> looks like he's getting his opens up and then they're dashed. he gets his opens up again and they're dashed again. >> reporter: clark the dog has a facebook fan page with a joke bacon tree. if you're wondering -- >> i kicked me. >> reporter: what he really said in dog speak -- jeanne moos, cnn, new york. always entertaining. good morning. welcome to cnn. "sanjay gupta m.d." begins right now. good morning. happy new year. i'm dr. sanjay gupta. before we talk about 2012, i wanted to take time to reflect on the stories and people that caught my attention and changed the world over this past year. january 8th, gunfire at a campaign event for congresswoman gabrielle giffords.

eight people are killed. >> was anybody injured? did you say gabrielle giffords was hit? >> she's hit. she still has a pulse. >> reporter: the congresswoman was shot in the head but survives. >> she was lucky. when i saw the trajectory of where one hole was and the other was, i was like, my gosh. >> reporter: because it was so far apart? >> yeah. it went through a lot. >> reporter: three and a half months later, the first public steps in the congresswoman's remarkable recovery. in 2011 i tried to put a spotlight on big hits on the brain. trying to find evidence that football puts young people at risk and professional players as well. in february, david deweson committed suicide, and he left his brain to scientific research. when the findings came back, his brain had tell tale signs of chronic injury. as stories like this rolled in,

the nfl tried to put in new rules to protect players. >> ah! >> reporter: then it was march. i witnessed the aftermath of an astonishing disaster in japan. our first hours on the ground were just scary. so we are going to move at this point. these seem like official warnings now. there was no tsunami, we were safe, but more than 16,000 people lost their lives. and thanks to leaks from a crippled nuclear plant, the district around fukushima will be unlivable for years to come. in may, the world health organization said cell phones might -- might cause brain cancer. brain scans can spot the impact of radiation from phones. some studies found a cancer link. doesn't mean cell phones are dangerous, but to be on the safe side i always say use an ear piece. july brought questions about cancer and 9/11 just ahead of the tenth anniversary of the

attacks. federal authorities say there's not strong evidence connecting dust from the tafallen towers a cancer, but a month later a big study of new york firefighters found the opposite. >> we found a 19% increase in all cancers in our exposed firefighters, as compared to the nonexposed firefighters. >> reporter: the decision on compensation could still be reversed. in october, the spotlight landed on the psa test, to detect prostate cancer, a test undergone by more than 20 million men each year, a federal advisory panel said the psa test just isn't worth it. then november, exciting news of a stem cell break through. two studies using infusions of a patient's own stem cells, one found the cells could regrow dead heart tissue, once thought to be impossible. the other study found the cells could reverse heart failure. one story that was left

unresolved -- the fight over the health care law. critics call it obama care. >> i said time and again, obama care is bad news. it's unconstitutional. it costs way too much money, a trillion dollars. if i'm president of the united states, i will repeal it for the american people. >> reporter: in november, the supreme court decided to agragr the law's fight next year. some stories never end. for rescue workers at ground zero, cancer is not the only concern. many like mart y fulham were let with permanent lung disease. >> how sick is marty? >> marty is as sick as can be. marty is still alive because of his ability to persevere. >> reporter: but that may not be enough to help him breathe

again. recently he found out whether he will get the transplant that could save his life. >> i was being considered to be listed again for a second transplant, then a month ago they told me, no, i wouldn't be considered. >> that's tough to hear. we did hear from a friend of marty's. they say he still has hope. he's trying to get on the transplant list at duke. more heroes falling on tough times. in mid-december, the last u.s. troops left iraq, but war can inflict a toll long beyond the withdrawal date. i was shocked to learn on any given night more than 100,000 veterans are literally sleeping on the street. until recently, robert risman was one of them. >> reporter: ex-soldiers like robert are desperate for steady care and for stable housing. so i was stunned to hear about a piece of property in west los angeles set aside for this very purpose. for veterans, for long-term housing. and it's literally across the street from the v.a. hospital.

the story here actually dates back all the way to the 1880s. back then the government wanted to create facilities for aging veterans of the civil war. so former senator john p. jones and his friend, a glamorous heiress, decided to donate all of this land. back then, it was mostly ranch land. but today, just a few miles from the pacific ocean, it's some of the most valuable real estate in all of north america. >> eventually the chief of staff at the l.a. v.a. hospital agreed to meet me and defended the v.a.'s work. >> i think we have the resources with the community to end homelessness of veterans in los angeles. we do. >> the case is still pending. robert does continue to do well. just recently, the national v.a. announced the number of homeless vets was reduced by 12%.

coming up, swimmer diana nyad and the darth vader kid, max page. kinda. ♪ when i'm out with my kids, my daughter's like, "mom, wait up!" and i'm thinking, "shouldn't you have more energy than me? you're, like, eight!" [ male announcer ] for every 2 pounds you lose through diet and exercise alli can help you lose one more by blocking some of the fat you eat. simple. effective. advantage: mom. let's fight fat with alli ♪

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with some medical breakthroughs you don't need a new scientific discovery.

>> you're saying with what we know right now, we don't have to have any more heart attacks in this country? >> i'll never say not any, but the great majority, yes. >> it is the biggest killer of men and women, heart disease in this country. >> it is completely preventable. >> he has come up with new tests to detect these heart attacks. i got the test as well and it was nerve-racking. someone made the comment to me this is sort of a four-year guarantee. that i won't have a heart attack. would you agree with that? >> i would extend it to five to seven years. >> based on what you've already seen, based on this, five to seven years f i'm feeling chest pains, probably not a heart attack. >> right. >> sharon kinz had a hard attack, instead of undergoing surgery, she became a vegan, and

a year later she still had a clean bill of health. >> sharon, do you think this diet will make you live longer? >> i hope so. i hope i get to see you retire. >> i have a feeling you'll have to live a long time for that, which i hope you do. >> i hope i do, too. >> and i'm happy to report sharon is still in tip top shape. there's another story i want to tell youyou about, one i'll never forgot. back in august i was witness to a slow-motion disaster a real famine washing over somalia. people have known for months and months this was coming. 30,000 people, as you've heard, died over the last three months. even after you get to one of these camps, there's still not enough food here, not enough water and plenty of infectious diseases. >> today the situation is marginally better. the unsays the number of somalis at risk of starvation is down to 250,000 people. still a huge number.

250,000. some aid groups had to scale back operations in the refugee camps because of explosions which were directed at the police. more than 500,000 somalis are still living in overcrowded refugee camps, and there's little reason to expect they'll be headed home soon. keep them in your thoughts. when i was in somalia, there was a different story unfolding on the other side of the world. diana nyad, the woman who i say defines tenacity. she is 61 years old. you see her jumping in to do something that no human had done before, swim 103 miles from cuba to key west. after 29 hours in the water, asthma and a bum shoulder got the best of her. in september she tried again. this time stopping after 67 miles. that's how far she swam. this time stopping because of severe jellyfish stings that paralyzed some of her muscles. so she tells us, you will believe this, she's working on a jellyfish-proof suit so she can give it another go.

so inspirational. coming up, one of the most interesting and cutest, i will tell you, people i've met all year. we liked him so much he came back and visited us again. he's max page, the mini darth vader. need some help, ma'am? grrrrrrr! [ in high voice ] oh thank you. these things are heavy. zzzzzzzz! [ male announcer ] built for work. and everything you work for. hey, honey. i'm glad you're home. [ male announcer ] the chevy silverado. our most powerful hd yet. from fathers to sons, [ boy ] dad! [ male announcer ] chevy runs deep.

   d you need a little help with your mortgage, want to avoid foreclosure. candy? um-- well, you know, you're in luck. we're experts in this sort of thing, mortgage rigamarole, whatnot. why don't we get a contract? who wants a contract? [honks horn] [circus music plays] here you go, pete. thanks, betty. betty: we're out of toner. announcer: if you're facing foreclosure, talk to the right people. speak with hud-approved housing counselors free of charge at...

amidst the countless washington budget battles this year, one crazy cute skid from super bowl commercial was fighting for fewer cuts to medicaid. he is a little guy with a big makes to make capitol hill feel the force. >> hi, dr. gupta? >> yes, sir. >> you're it. >> i'm it? >> yeah. >> reporter: max page only knows one speed. full steam ahead. i don't know if i can keep up with this kid. you've probably seen max before, even though you might not know it. remember this volkswagen ad from super bowl xlv? darth vader? nope, just max. within near seconds of meeting

him, max was asking about my daughters. three girls. >> let me guess. 4-year-old? >> yep. >> 2-year-old. >> yes. >> 6-year-old. >> you got it. how did you know? we're at the children's hospital of los angeles with max and his brother els to see dr. silka. ready for your pacemaker? >> reporter: that's right. max has a pacemaker, actually it's his third and he's only six years old. for his parents the first sign of trouble came before max was born. >> my 38-week appointment we found out max had structural damage to his heart. they couldn't get a good heartbeat. they took him emergency c-section. >> the last feeling i remember, it's almost hopelessness because it's out of my hands as a dad. and as a dad, that's not something you're used to. >> i just said, please, just save my son. that's all we're here for. i don't even know what you just said. i don't understand anything you're going to do.

i need you to save my son. i need to have a chance to know this kid. >> reporter: it's hard to imagine, but for mom and dad it was all a blur. max was born with a heart condition, it's rare, it includes four separate problems in the heart, which leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood. without a pacemaker and eight major operations so far, max probably wouldn't be here. can you feel it, max? can you feel the pacemaker? >> if you touch it or something hits it, it's kind of where i feel it. >> it's just like the movie "cars" they show the pistons and engines going around. you want them working together. you don't want one going like this and another at a different rate. they have to work together. >> something like this for max or any child like max should be cared for in a children's hospital? could any hospital -- >> oh, no. no. this is a fairly sophisticated, fairly sub-specialized area of medicine. i'm a pediatric elec

electrophysiologist. there are not many of white house do what we do. >> we are joined by darth vader now. one of my favorite parts of the year was spending time with you guys. welcome back. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. how are you doing, buddy? doing okay? it's funny. so many people have been asking me about you since they saw me interview you, and even remembered the commercial. can people get a chance to see you now for real? want to take the helmet off? there he is, max page. you are really cute without that helmet. good to see you. thanks for coming to visit me. >> you're welcome. >> how has your year been, max? >> good. >> you've been traveling a lot? >> mm-hmm. >> where were you yesterday? >> south carolina. >> what were you doing there? >> saying thank you to st. jude

medical for building my pacemaker. >> a lot of people i don't think know you have a pacemaker. you've had a pacemaker for some time now, right? >> mm-hmm. >> this is your third one? >> third, right? >> third. >> how are you feel fine? >> uh-huh. >> doctors say you're good to go. everything's good? >> uh-huh. >> you look great. i always love seeing you. how's everything going with you guise? you had a busy year. last time we spoke there was a lot of optimism, around els. i can't ignore you. hello. okay, all right. i have kids. this is important. show us the wiggly tooth. there it is. a very, railroad big achievement. monumental. a lot of kids are very jealous. not even 5 yet. oh, no, you just turned 5. going to be 6 in january. >> he's 5. a lot of kids are really jealous. >> a busy year four guys. i know there was a lot of

optimism surrounding the work you guys were doing in washington, but tell us a little bit about that before we tell people what happened. >> well, we went to washington, d.c. on behalf of the children's hospital network across the country, and in helping to continue to have the funding available for the children's hospital network across the united states. children's hospital los angeles is our home, and because of the doctors and the training that they have, when we needed -- when max was born and we needed the care, they were there immediately for us, and we wanted to secure, make sure that that is always going to be the case for the parents and the children that will come behind us. >> and you're talking about eight major operations for max. this was obviously, jennifer, a really important asset, resource to have in your backyard. there's 56 children's hospitals around the country.

what that risk with all this going on? >> for us, our hospital takes every child and 70% medicaid. if medicaid is cut, that's going to dramatically hurt our hospital. and the graduate training program. if we're not training pediatricians, with peds, it's going to be devastating. there won't be the specialists that we need. max required several specialists, from intestines to heart and a skilled pediatrician that can see signs when he presents the flu, it's more serious, let's get in. it just -- for us personally is maxal journey. we just feel such an obligation to those that come behind us, to make sure that everything is set for them, too. >> well, we're glad to have you back. this is one of my favorite parts of the year, why i love being a journalist, being able to meet people like you. >> thank you very much. it's been wonderful for us. >> people that care about this

issue, i have three daughters of my own. as maxwell well knows and i think it makes you obviously care just a little bit more. so -- thanks a lot, guys. happy holidays. >> you, too. >> good luck. >> merry christmas. >> and on the way out, the force? >> yes. >> now, i will tell you something else, while congress appropriated funds for the graduate education program for 2012, funding beyond that point is uncertain. the senate left and went on recess without making any headway on the reauthorization of the chgme program, which would guarantee funding for an additional five years. that's where things stand. crazy cute kid. um neck, a story we'll be all over in 2012, the concussions in football. big hits, broken dreams. we'll give you that straight ahead. so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol

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now a story we've been covering for some time now. an interest of mine.

concussions. remember earlier this year, dave dorsen found to have a form's dementia from constant hard hits to his brain. this year alone more than 80 nfl players including four last week filed suits claiming that the nfl hid the dangers of concussions from them. the first part of the nfl says player safetisy a priority and gave a statement that read in part, any allegation thattal nfl intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit. it stands in contrast to the league's actions to better protect players. now be present at every game as an additional set of eyes for big hits. my documentary, "big hits, broken dreams." >> friday night is pretty big around here. football in north carolina is really big. if you're from around this area, you know sports. >> excited.

ready to go. that's all i thought, every single day. football, football, football. ♪ >> football is a tough sport. you know. it ain't for everybody. there's collisions in this sport. >> my little brother. he's not moving. he needs help breathing. i mean, i just lost it. >> while he was tackled, walked to the side wlooins and collapsed. >> friday night's death is being felt -- >> a very tough time for the whole community. >> they had a tragedy, and it really brought it all to the forefront. >> reporter: head of athletic trainers at these football programs? >> would you drop a kid off at a pool that didn't have a lifeguard? people are starting to take a look at how important health and safetisy fon athletes. >> six concussions.

>> six. >> i remember getting hit hard. actually rang my bell. >> for the first three weeks, a constant headache. >> the trainer was asking me questions. i answered them all wrong. >> what we're seeing, is this definitely caused by blows it the head. >> when my son can't remember stuff, i think that it's my fault. >> there are a small percentage of impacts that simulate that car crash. >> he does have symptoms of a concussion. >> a parent came to you and said, coach, my kid really wants to play football but i want to you tell me he's going to be safe. >> i can't guarantee that. >> reporter: it is a violent game. that's always going to be there. can you make this game safer? hope you get a chance to watch this documentary. answering a lot of important questions. that team there, the question they're asking, can they turn tragedy into triumph and still play safe and win? investigations, called "big hits, broken