number one... number two... ...and number three. >> imagine getting away from it all and slowing it down for a few days. you can here in san juan bautista, a charming historic city with a famous mission and a main street straight out of the old west. best of all, it's just outside the bay area. it's time to get outta town. ♪ san juan bautista is a small historic town with a thriving art, food, and antique scene, and it's surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and agricultural fields. it's a popular destination for everyone, from a cyclist to motorcyclists and people just looking to get away from it all. we had a chance to visit. first stop, a look at the fresh produce you can find in the area. ♪

so we're here at phil foster ranch. phil, tell me about this farm, what you guys have here. >> we've been growing here since 1993, and we've been farming in this area since 1988. we've been certified organic for 28 years. we're mixed vegetable and tree fruits, so some of the varieties we grow trees -- apples, cherries, pears, figs, walnuts. and then mixed vegetable, we probably do 40 or 50 different varieties throughout the year. this is a great area for growing a large variety and year-round production, and probably 75% of what we grow is marketed within 100 miles of our farm. our produce that we grow, we're utilizing farmers markets. we do about 10 different farmers markets mainly in the bay area, some over in the monterey bay area. ♪

>> tell me where we are and a little bit about the history of this place. >> well, welcome. my name is cesar flores, and you are at the home of el teatro campesino, the farmworkers theatre. we started in 1965 with cesar chavez, and we have progressed -- actually, we came here to san juan bautista in 1971. we've been here ever since. >> what goes on here, and what's the future of el teatro? >> well, the future is now. i mean, we have a different set of young people that are now the core of the company. we are the old-timers, you know. we set it up, made it happen. now they come in and they're taking it over and they're taking it to the next step. you know, they're using their young minds and their whole media thing and doing whole new shows, but still based on social justice because that's our main struggle. it has been, and we educate, and this is our whole thing of our theatre is we educate our community. and that's not just to latinos.

no. it's for everyone. >> san juan bautista also has lots of antique stores. >> so, tell me about your business here in san juan bautista. >> well, i've been in san juan bautista for 11 years now. >> well, how do antiques fit into this town? >> well, as far as i know, this town has been an antiquing town for over 50 years, 'cause we just had -- i think it was -- our 53rd antique fair in august. so we have it every august. this year, it's the second sunday of august. so it's been known for antiques for a long time. we still have eight antique stores in town, so it is a destination in which there's not very many anymore. i think it fits in with the old buildings. like, my building is the old schoolhouse from 1868, and it was a one-room schoolhouse in the day. and then in the 1940s, it was a drugstore. >> so what might someone find in your shop when it comes to antiques? >> i would say we would have anything from victorian to art deco, mid-century modern to shabby chic and upcycled things. and garden!

we do try to carry garden stuff, which right now, is coming in big. we try to find wrought iron gates and windows and doors. >> well, mrs. b., tell me about your store here in san juan bautista. >> back in 1998, my husband and i decided to migrate south. we had a trucking business for 38 years, and wanted to get out of dodge. so we came down here and people kept asking what i was wearing, 'cause i never owned a pair of trousers until i moved here. and i started out with all true vintage pieces, but it limits people, what they can wear. so i finally met with several designers that reproduce the '40s, '50s... upstairs i have the victorian titanic and all the eras in between. i have flappers and everything. that's how i got started, just people asking me what i was wearing and i opened it up. >> oh, so it was like you were

an influencer, a style setter! >> i try to be. this building has been a lot of things -- a gun shop, a bakery. i like the old west. i've always like westerns, and this is the perfect theme town. your hair is your glory, your hat is your crown, and we're all royalty. >> i need a hat. ♪ coming up, we'll go inside one of california's most famous missions.

vo: jack's got your back.hits, jack: somebody craving my smoky jack burger? vo: the smoky jack burger combo for $4.99. vo: hickory-smoked bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, vo: all on an artisan poppyseed bun. vo: plus fries and a refreshing drink. vo: all for just $4.99. man: thanks, jack! jack: you're welcome. vo: the new smoky jack burger combo for just $4.99. vo: only at jack in the box.

>> in san juan bautista, you can step back into time and see one of the most picturesque and pristine missions along the california mission trail. ♪ growing in san jose, i remember my first visit to san juan bautista for our fourth grade mission field trip,

and, you know what, it's great to be back to see it all again. >> san juan bautista state historic park was the crossroads of california, so it was home to basically the four peoples of california. so here you will discover the native american people who lived on this site, the spanish missionaries over at the catholic mission, mexican ranchers who lived in one of our historic adobe structures, and early american settlers who came here during the gold rush. this is the last remaining spanish plaza. what that means is over 200 years ago during the mission system, each mission would have had a square or a plaza where the future town would have developed next to the mission. this is the last remaining one. all the other ones have been lost to time. today, the state historic park preserved not just the grass square of the plaza of the center of san juan bautista, but we also preserved the historic buildings which are now the museums. one of the neat things about the mission of san juan bautista -- since they've had a continuous catholic presence on that site, when the current mission was completed in 1812, that mission has been maintained for the last

200 years, and when you walk into their sanctuary today, still an active church, you get to actually see the original altar wall from the early 1800s that was built by the spanish missionaries, but the entire mission was built by hand by the native people of this land. one of the great days to come here to the state park is on our first saturday, which is the living history days here at the state park. our volunteers come together and dress up in costume, and they interpret early california history. we have lots of activities for children and families. we have a butter-churning activity, where the children actually get a chance to make butter from scratch. they get a chance to participate in the baking by our horno, which is our old mexican adobe oven, which we bake bread in that, and then we give it out. you get to taste that. we have one of the highlights of one of the buildings in the state historic park. it is the plaza hotel. this hotel is a luxury hotel. it would cost you $2.50 a night to stay in that hotel. so, of course, since you're

getting the real great accommodations, you're gonna have a saloon, so you can walk right into the saloon to the actual original bar and order a root beer and a sarsaparilla. ♪ >> if you want to stay overnight here in san juan bautista, there are some great options. so, tell me where we are. >> this is hacienda de léal. this is our first boutique hotel. we purchased the property about three years ago and went through a complete remodel. so now we are a spanish-inspired hacienda. we also own a vineyard in town, so we do make all of our own wine here in san benito county. we actually have a small vineyard that we planted here at the hotel. with that, we offer different amenities to our guests with shuttle service. we can tour them into town, take them over to see the mission, and go shopping into the town. ♪ >> tell me a little bit about the history of the hotel. >> the history of the hotel -- well, the history, it was built 25 years ago from my grandfather raphael lopez, and it was designed and built by his own bare hands, his own vision, and it was built with a small amount of people -- my family members.

>> well, how did he even get the idea to build here in san juan bautista? >> the reason why we're in san juan bautista is because on his honeymoon night with my grandmother, they were driving from big sur back to santa clara where they lived, and they stopped in san juan bautista looking for lodging, but there was nowhere to go. so what did he do? he promised her that he would build her a hotel. he said, "maria, i'm gonna build you a hotel one day." and that's exactly what he did. he built her a hotel. >> and even as a young child, you had a hand in putting this place together. >> luckily, yeah. i was. there's a lot of photos that i'm uncovering, now that i'm going through all the files, of me 5 years old with a little hammer and my grandfather looking over me, you know, teaching me how to swing a hammer. >> and, right now, we're standing in the lobby of the posada hotel, and talk about some of the features here. when someone walks in, what are they gonna see? >> they're gonna see a lot of woodwork. my grandfather loved wood. that was his main thing. you're gonna see the tile. the tile was brought from mexico. he went there with my uncles and hand-picked it himself. >> so, you have recently taken

over. >> yes, i have. i got a phone call about a year ago today from my godmother, which is one of the owners saying, "son, i need your help," and i didn't even ask her what we were doing. i said, "i'll be there! what do you need?" she was like, "we're taking over the hotel." i was like, "oh, man! we're taking over the hotel? all right! i'll still be there!" her and my grandfather built it. now me and her are gonna take it to the next level. >> san juan bautista, to me, is very special. i belong here. i got a feeling that i belong here. we belong here. >> it's a good day trip for sure for anybody who wants to just get away. >> as a farmer, it's just a fabulous area to grow in. >> it really is like you've just entered an entirely different dimension. >> this truly is a california hidden gem. ♪ >> bye-bye!

>> there's so much to explore, so we'll back with more stories to share. in the meantime, we want to hear from you. so send us your favorite stories, pictures, videos, and places in the bay area. visit us online, join us on facebook, and follow us on twitter. all this fun driven by your northern california honda dealer. >> for more information on the vehicle featured in this episode, visit norcalhondadealers.com. ♪

the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing.

>> he just begged to have us try to hold off until his fiancee arrived. he was on his near last breath. >> i wish i could have talked to him. i wish i would have gotten here sooner. please give me one more kiss or one more hug. >> reporter: as agonizing hours turn into days, there were still no answers and jennifer, his medical proxy, has to okay every medical test, every procedure, knowing those decisions could affect his daughter too. >> yeah, i just kept thinking about his daughter and just like she can't be without her dad -- and so i was thinking every moment every decision i made was like this little girl. i can't let this girl lose her father. >> reporter: but it's the

pictures that tell the story. and jennifer is there documenting every moment, capturing the before, not even sure there will be an after. by his second day in the i.c.u., a terrible sign -- his limbs are turning black. gangrene is setting in, because his vital organs are literally stealing the blood from his arms and legs to survive. >> his fingers are blue and his feet are blue. [ crying ] >> reporter: then, as things are at their most desperate, doctors propose something that, to jennifer, is unthinkable. >> they also talked about amputating your fingers and toes. i asked them why. please try to fix it. >> lisa, his sister, and i, we just turned and looked at each other and we were like, "what? did he just say amputation?" and we were shocked. i just thought "i will just never make that decision for him." >> reporter: if anyone knew what kind of fighter jonathan could be, it was his sister, lisa. after all, their survival story began long before this. >> i always felt like we were a team, the two of us going through it.

>> reporter: a team with her brother. growing up in the pennsylvania town of state college, home of penn state. raised by a loving mother, but a father who jonathan says had no use for him. my father had a very domineering, almost sadistic way about him. >> reporter: take the time when jonathan was about four, and he says his father showed him how to tie his shoes just once, then banished him to the basement. >> and he said, "go downstairs and don't come up until they're tied." and it took me a long time. probably, i don't know, 10 or 12 hours. i could hear my mom crying out the door. >> reporter: b jonathan says there is one gift he credits his dad with giving him. he took jonathan to a drive-in when he was 11. a transformational movie, called "rocky." >> "rocky" really changed my life. >> reporter: it might seem cliche to come, but not if you're a downtrodden kid from the keystone state, who'd come to l.a. with dreams of stardom, only to end up a hollywood

heavyweight. >> you took rocky as gospel. >> it is the gospel. >> what are the lessons? >> well, first of all, he didn't win. rocky didn't win. but to me, he accomplished what he set out to accomplish which -- he wanted to last the entire fight. to me, that was everything. >> reporter: but did jonathan have enough fight in him to beat whatever mysterious illness had breached that otherwise healthy body? finally, after two and a half days in the i.c.u., dr. seneff says it's one of the young doctors, a resident making rounds, that has an ah-ha moment. >> the more detective work we did, the more likely it seemed that this really was the diagnosis. >> reporter: a lymph node biopsy confirms it. >> the appropriate term, i think, is hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. >> reporter: also known as hlh, a rare and aggressive immune disorder that neither of jonathan's doctors had ever confronted. >> it is basically your immune system in overdrive.

and there's some trigger, often times viral, but it's mostly seen in pediatrics. >> reporter: they immediately reverse course on treatment. what they had been doing was making things worse. they start chemotherapy and massive steroids to kill the toxins. >> and over the short course of time, over just a few days, he started making a quick recovery of his organ systems. >> you opened your eyes three times today which was amazing. i saw the light in your eyes, your beautiful blue eyes. honey, squeeze your hand again. >> reporter: like the prize fighter he idolized, jonathan survived the fight of his life. but the damage was done. gangrene had literally starved his limbs to death. at a minimum, his left hand would need amputation. when you emerge from that coma, what's the first thing that you think? >> the first thing i thought was that i wanted to marry jennifer. >> and yet before that, you weren't planning on getting

married? >> no. >> what changed? >> all of a sudden it was just about us. >> reporter: when we return, they saved his life, with you couldn't save his limbs. all four of them damaged beyond compare. >> i didn't understand how this could happen when i lived my life the way that i did and all the exercise. >> reporter: but little did he know there was yet another hollywood twist in store. what does the miracle on the hudson have to do with this medical miracle? stay with us.

>> reporter: back home in los angeles, there's little relief for the recovering, beleaguered hollywood executive. >> it feels like someone is holding a bic lighter under my fingertips all day every day. >> reporter: his hands in this video, so diseased from gangrene, we've concealed it. he's spent more than 85 days in two different hospitals. his four blood-starved limbs are all but dead. as bad as it looks, it feels even worse. >> how did you get through all that pain? >> i've prepared my whole life to push myself past, you know,

the norms, past what i think i need to do. >> you didn't look in a mirror for months? >> i chose not to look in the mirror because i could tell by the reaction of people around me it wasn't going great. >> reporter: he's stuck in a wheelchair, 40 pounds lighter, a sickly shadow of his former self. with virtually no use of his hands and feet, jonathan's well of optimism fills with doubt. when did the term transplant enter your vocabulary? >> i actually can remember right where i was. i was standing in the hall. the attending that was on just said, i think they are doing hand transplants now. you should google that. you should check it out. >> reporter: and she does. jennifer learns one of the world's leading hand transplant pioneers, dr. kodi azari is just 20 miles away from their home at ucla. >> the hand is probably the most remarkable i'd say instrument that i've ever seen. >> reporter: as surgical director of ucla's hand transplant program,

dr. azari's passion often inspires him to wax poetic about his favorite appendage. >> if there is any evidence of divine intervention, it would -- it would be the human hand. this same hand can break bricks. it can also have the precision to be a concert pianist. >> reporter: which is why trying to replace has been so imperfect. >> reporter: from a hook like this one, to even a state of the art prosthetic, dr. azari says there was room for improvement, but it would take just the right patient. >> when i first saw jonathan he was -- he was actually incredibly frail. he hadn't showered for months because he had open wounds. >> reporter: but azari had a plan - a new innovative procedure, a type he had never attempted before where the amputation of the hand is placed closer to the wrist than the elbow. the arm is then prepped specifically to receive a new hand. each and every nerve, tendon, vein and artery is extended and bound together. the arm is then sutured closed until it's later reopened and attached to a donor hand. the benefits --

more functionality and range of motion. a much better quality of life for jonathan. >> he was dependent on his wife for every single aspect of his daily existence. you know, personal hygiene in those situations is not personal anymore. >> reporter: azari wonders could jonathan be the one for his dream procedure? he had plenty of doubts. >> it takes a lot of effort to rehabilitate the hand, and you want somebody to put in that effort. otherwise it could have been a waste. >> reporter: jonathan, brimming with enthusiasm, had no doubt. >> i was like, oh my god. this guy is our guy. like let's do this. do you have any hands here we can choose from or can we just get one right now before we leave, or how is this going to work? >> and he was like just chill. >> reporter: azari laid out a blunt series of challenges before he would agree to be his surgeon. for starters, he'd have to regain his strength and rebuild that once brawny body.

trainer scott zeller played coach mickey to jonathan's inner rocky. >> i learned to trust scott very quickly. he understood not to baby me. >> we'd do a set of something, and then he'd fall asleep on the table. >> i had 270 milligrams of morphine coursing through my body every day. >> i kind of have to shake him awake to get him back on again. and then we'd do another set of something and then he'd fall asleep. >> getting ready for the hand transplant was literally the fight of my life. >> reporter: his mind perhaps more battle ready than his body, but within only two months of training, dr. azari thinks jonathan is ready for the next challenge. >> it'll sound strange to say it, but i wanted them to cut my original hand off. it was horrible. it was hurting me, and it's dead and it's very hard to live as along as i did with dead limbs. >> reporter: in the summer of 2015 the process begins, dr. azari amputates jonathan's totally useless left hand, and just the fingers on his partially-functioning right.

but while he's emotionally divorcing himself from parts of his own body, jonathan makes good on the promise he'd made, waking from his coma. he and jennifer are married in their backyard, in a ceremony so simple there isn't even a cake. >> it was so simple and perfect. it was 38 seconds in the backyard with four people, and we laid down and got something to eat, like we always do. >> yeah, we had honey nut cheerios. >> reporter: but next came perhaps the biggest and most costly of dr. azari's challenges before jonathan could get a new hand, the cruelest kind of exchange -- azari tells jonathan there's something he can't fix. he would have to lose his leg. >> well i said, jonathan, i can't do your transplant until you've had your amputations of your legs, and you're up and moving around with your prosthetics. >> reporter: why? so he would be steady on his feet so not to stumble and injure his new hand. so the very next day after getting married, back to the hospital for the amputation of his right leg.

>> we had our honeymoon in the hospital. it was lovely. >> it was. >> reporter: there was reason to be hopeful. so many high-profile success stories. oscar pistorius breaking records on that blade. a double amputee nearly taking home the mirror ball on dancing with the stars. you'd think an optimist like jonathan would be prepared, but it seems nothing prepares you for the moment when you're staring down at an expanse of bed sheet where your leg used to be. >> it took me by surprise that i was so emotional about having my leg amputated. when we left the hospital and i was getting into jennifer's car and i realized that i didn't have a right leg below, you know, i was shocked. >> reporter: so upset that jennifer was forced to pull off the road. >> and then i just burst into tears, which was the first time during this entire thing that that had happened, and you know,

after that we came home, and we got to work. >> oh my god! >> reporter: undeterred with even fewer limbs, but now fitted with a prosthetic leg the moment of truth: >> on the first day he got his prosthetic, he got up and walked, and i've never, ever, ever seen that before. >> what was that moment like when he learned to walk? >> i was overwhelmed with joy. he hadn't walked in 11 months. >> yeah, we trained really hard, but i was so happy. >> reporter: all the while, jennifer's video camera trained on some unsteady strides, and surprisingly few stumbles. that old swagger back intact. >> i was incredibly impressed by the speed of his rehab. i didn't think there could be somebody that was this eternal optimist that would work so hard. doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, eats well. i didn't think that person exists, and yet, there's

jonathan. >> reporter: and with that, dr. azari finally gives the green light to place jonathan on the donor recipient list for a hand, and when we come back the call comes. >> i was like, this isn't happening. this isn't happening. is jonathan's going to get another man's hand. >> reporter: the hand is on its way, packed in ice, in a cooler like this one. but it can't survive long without blood. >> well, we all know about the notorious la traffic. >> and an unforeseen visitor causes an unexpected delay. a critical race against time, next. r. one side deeply exfoliates the other gently smooths and a flexible body cleanser inside lathers for a close, complete clean. just hang your duo to dry after each use, for day-after-day of touchably soft skin. find your duo in the bodywash aisle. available in olay, old spice and ivory.

jimmy's gotten used to his whole yup, he's gone noseblind. odors. he thinks it smells fine, but his mom smells this... luckily for all your hard-to-wash fabrics... ...there's febreze fabric refresher. febreze doesn't just mask, it eliminates odors you've... ...gone noseblind to. and try febreze unstopables for fabric. with up to twice the fresh scent power, you'll want to try it... ...again and again and maybe just one more time. indulge in irresistible freshness. febreze unstopables. breathe happy. my friend susie cracks and hello sensitive bladder. ring a bell? then you have to try always discreet. i didn't think protection this thin could work. but the super absorbent core turns liquid to gel. for incredible protection... ...that's surprisingly thin. so it's out of sight... ...and out of mind. always discreet. for bladder leaks. also in liners.

>> reporter: look carefully. you're watching jonathan koch bench press using the stump of his left wrist. remarkably, pushing past the familiar, ever-present pain. >> come on. >> reporter: this unwavering drive -- >> good job. >> reporter: is about to pay off with a new hand. >> if i wasn't ready, then what dr. azari did and all of his genius would have gone potentially, you know, to waste, and so that wasn't okay. >> reporter: but dr. kodi azari had to be ready too. he trained 18 years for this moment, and not unlike jonathan, he too had a silver screen hero. birds. "sully," the movie about the

hero pilot chesley sullenberger's miraculous plane landing on the hudson. azari says he watched it repeatedly, taken by the striking similarities between their two professions. >> we're expected to do the operations perfectly every single time. yet, the human body throws curveballs our way, and when that happens, you've got to have the composure to do what's right, to do what's best, and you have to make judgments at very critical times. >> and lives can often be on the line. >> and lives. the movie really resonated with me. >> in many ways sully's like a hero to you. >> i think he's a hero to many people. >> reporters: and like pilots in a simulator, azari and his team gathered multiple times to practice jonathan's operation in a surgical anatomy lab. >> the search for a donor is not easy. >> the hand is different. it's an external organ. so you need to match for size. you need to match for color. you need to match for hair pattern.

imagine my hairy hands on you, juju. i don't think you would accept this as yours. >> that would be a little off. >> reporter: after a 7 month wait, last october, jonathan and jennifer get the call. the one they hope will change their lives. >> i still don't believe it. i was like, this isn't happening. this isn't happening. and then, finally, you know, we get in the car and we go. >> and so you're driving to the hospital. what's going through your mind? >> well, first of all, obama was in town. so that wasn't great. >> reporter: 9:30 a.m., the surgical team is at ucla medical center waiting on jonathan and jennifer, but they didn't bank on this. >> president obama will be fundraising in l.a., once again. >> and that means traffic delays as you head to work. >> and so it's l.a. traffic. >> yeah. >> you're stuck in gridlock? >> yes. >> reporter: they're relying on a g.p.s., but on a day like this, it's more like o.m.g. >> we decided to follow waze, but, of course, everybody in l.a. follows waze.

so we were on these back roads with all these stop signs with literally as much traffic as there was on the freeway. >> so we were 45 minutes late to my own hand transplant. >> reporter: meanwhile the donor is on life support at another southern california hospital. azari and his procurement team are there to meet the dying man's family. >> and i actually got to meet the donor's brother and i got to meet the donor's pastor, and to me that was an incredibly emotional time because i can truly sense their loss. jonathan got an organ from somebody that was truly an incredible person. >> reporter: 2:58 p.m. -- azari texts jennifer. all is going well. we have left the donor hospital en route to ucla, but timing is now critical. traffic delays from the president's motorcade could be catastrophic. dr. azari has a helicopter on standby. >> the organ or the hand for this instance is not getting blood supply so over time it's deteriorating. so there's a ticking clock. >> reporter: a ticking clock on

what will already be a marathon, almost 18 hour surgery, but today, in the city of angels, an angel just might be watching over them. >> and do you get stuck in traffic? how do you get back? >> there was no traffic. imagine that, coming back to ucla there was very little traffic. >> how are you feeling about your hand transplant surgery? >> very peaceful and hopeful that everything goes well. >> jonathan had no concerns going into the surgery, but i did. i mean, this is an 18-hour surgery. this is a big deal. >> i actually told dr. azari, i said, you take care of my husband. you better take care of him. >> don't lose him? >> yeah. you bring my husband back to me. >> reporter: 3:57 p.m. -- azari joins his team of 13 surgeons, 4 anesthesiologist and 8 nurses from competing southern california hospitals now in the o.r.

all vol un -- volunteering for one of the first of its kind hand transplants. before now, it was the stuff of science fiction. luke skywalker got one in star wars. but this procedure, if it works will be ground-breaking. a complex surgery that would allow jonathan to recover with greater coordination and more sensation than in previous hand transplants. you volunteered to be a guinea pig, essentially. >> i did volunteer to be a guinea pig, and it's really my job to make sure that i have the best chance to succeed so that other people can have the same opportunity moving forward. >> reporter: but the possibilities for complications are inevitable. >> there's always the fear that maybe rejection will set in or some other complication might set in. >> that's right. initial fears are that the vessels are going to clot and blood is not going to move through the hand. >> reporter: 4:15 p.m. -- two surgical teams work simultaneously, side by side, every tendon, artery, nerve is tagged and labeled. kind of like stereo wires waiting to be re-connected. there's no margin for error.

>> nerves are like coaxial cables, except there's no red to red, green to green, yellow to yellow connection. you have to figure out how they fit within each other so that the parts of the nerve that are for sensation match up and the parts of the nerve that are for motor function match up. >> and so one wrong move and it can affect the way his hand moves? >> the way his hand moves. >> reporter: 11:01 p.m. the new hand is now attached. tourniquets and clamps removed. did it work? the surgical team holds its breath. and what was that moment like when you saw the pulse return to his wrist? >> when you see this dead hand, it's cold, it's white, and it's not moving, and once you connect the vessels, including arteries and the nerves, then you see it start to swell up with blood. it's like a new life. it's magical. >> reporter: 9:07 a.m. -- the next morning the operation

is over. jonathan wakes with one pressing question for dr. azari. >> i asked dr. azari, did you do it? and he said yes, and then i started to sing the rocky theme. ♪ >> reporter: coming up, would jonathan's new hand function as dr. azari hoped? >> we're going to try to move your thumb tip. >> reporter: would he be able to feel the touch of his wife's hand in his again? the day after jonathan's surgery is jennifer's birthday. there was only one gift she wanted. >> that's amazing. >> reporter: stay with us. i love you, basement guest bathroom. your privacy makes you my number 1 place to go number 2. i love you, but sometimes you stink. febreze air effects doesn't just mask, it cleans away odors. because the things you love the most can stink. and try febreze small spaces

to clean away odors for up to 30 days. breathe happy with febreze. ...nausea, heartburn, when indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea! nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea! here's pepto bismol! ah. nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea. do i use ...one that'sthat wgood for my teeth? .. now i don't have to choose! from crest 3d white comes new whitening therapy. it's our best whitening technology. plus, it has a fortifying formula to protect your enamel. crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

>> reporter: 21 arduous months after jonathan koch first felt sick, a moment that would have been inconceivable at the start -- he awakes from surgery with a newly transplanted left hand. i was told that an hour after surgery you were moving fingers. >> it was jennifer's birthday when i got out of surgery, and she said, i just want one thing. i just want you to move one of your fingers. or i think you said move your thumb. >> i think i can move it. >> that's amazing! >> and i didn't think there was any chance that i could. but i thought about it, and it moved. >> what a birthday present! >> yes. it was the best birthday present. >> then all of the sudden this guy comes on. and that's where it began. every hour, something would come

back. doc, will i be able to play the piano after the surgery? it was incredible. >> reporter: a new hand, yes. but what kind of new life lies ahead? remember, he also lost fingers on his right hand, and a leg to that insidious disease. >> it's in my heart that if you, you know, you set your mind to something and you're willing to get through the pain, anything is possible. >> thank you. >> boom! >> that's awesome. >> about one week in he's gripping a tennis ball and throwing it. >> what? >> reporter: from the opening serve, his doctor says, it was advantage koch. >> unbelievable. >> so, better than expected? >> better than expected. next thing you know he's -- he's got this little video that he shows me where he picks up a glass of water and he takes a drink. and he goes, ahh. jonathan has met, or in the vast majority of cases, exceeded all of my expectations.

the classic one was, i told him jonathan, it's gonna take you maybe a year and a half to two years before you can tie your shoelaces. at two months he sends me a video of him tying his shoelaces >> reporter: that moment loaded with symbolism - for the man who'd told us he first learned to tie his shoes in that basement - under the duress of his dad. you don't have a lot of patience for this. >> no it's -- >> because you said i - you know, my doctors are telling me i'm a year ahead of schedule but i don't feel like i'm a year. >> well, i don't 'cause i'm just doing what's in front of me. >> reporter: for months now, he's put more in front of himself than many would. >> now you have full extension. remember you didn't in the beginning? >> that was the most difficult one. >> reporter: at ucla, an exacting rehab regimen to build up the hand itself. and at the gym. >> dude, good job. >> there's constantly something new on the horizon that we're trying to accomplish.

>> reporter: an exhausting workout schedule to restore his whole body. >> ten, one, come on. seeing him do new things after his hand transplant, quite a few of them brought tears to my eyes. ready, go. >> reporter: but maybe the greatest reward of all, doing anything with his daughter ariana. >> i'll get you next time. >> how cool is it to be able to work out with ariana again? >> oh, i love it. you know, doing those things now with her are just extraordinary. >> reporter: like in february, a milestone that seemed implausible. they attend ariana's last high school father-daughter dance. you made it to a father daughter dance again. >> i did. father-daughter dances are amazing, and ariana was incredible. she took care of me the whole night. okay, let's do this. >> reporter: but i got to share a pretty special thrill with him too. perfect. a rally on his beloved tennis courts. yes! how's it feel? >> it feels good, i just can't really feel my grip that well yet.

>> reporter: as if playing tennis alone isn't amazing enough, the natural righty had to learn to do it left handed. >> yes! >> yeah, i'm not great. but i am working on it. and i'm having a blast relearning tennis. >> good job. >> you're amazing. >> reporter: it's not without issues, his heart and lungs are not at the levels they once were. and like any transplant recipient, there is a lifelong looming possibility of rejection. curiously, jonathan says he's lost a lot of his taste for food, and he overheats a lot. so he carries a fan, even during our interview. >> i'm just going to cool down one second. >> yeah, sure. >> reporter: but wherever jonathan goes, he is a living breathing inspiration. >> i feel very much that i'm, you know, the test pilot for this. you know, that my hand is my hand but it's really all of ours. >> reporter: and speaking of pilots, remember the one who'd inspired the whole world with his heroism? i have a little surprise for you >> reporter: well we asked. >> am i about to be pranked?

>> reporter: and he agreed. >> come on in. >> reporter: to pay dr. azari a surprise visit. >> good afternoon! >> cool. >> dr. azari. >> reporter: captain sully. >> evacuate! >> reporter: the high-flying hero who makes a down-to-earth cameo in our little hollywood movie. >> i cant tell you how many times i've cried watching that movie. that was an incredible day for america. >> i think at a time when we all needed it. it gave us all hope. >> oh, my goodness. jonathan, how are you? >> good, how are you? >> jennifer, it's a pleasure to meet you. >> pleasure to meet you. >> it's pretty remarkable isn't it? >> it is amazing! >> it's been an incredible experience. as something happens almost every day that changes it. >> it's amazing how complex the human body is. >> shake? >> that's lovely. >> it is. >> reporter: when we come back you how does one learn to play guitar with a transplanted hand? a lesson, first hand from jewel. stay with us.

okay, iunderwear that's'd say this, bactually pretty.er leak surprised? it's called always discreet boutique. it looks and fits like my underwear. i know what you're thinking. how can something this pretty protect? hidden inside is a super absorbent core that quickly turns liquid to gel... ...for incredible protection. so i feel protected... ...and pretty. new always discreet boutique. i ...prilosec otc 7 years ago,my doctor recommended... 5 years ago, last week. just 1 pill each morning, 24 hours and zero heartburn. it's been the number 1 doctor recommended brand for 10... ...straight years, and it's still recommended today. use as directed. you give us comfort. and we give you bare feet, backsweat,

and gordo's... everything. i love you, but sometimes you stink. soft surfaces trap odors. febreze fabric refresher cleans them away for good. because the things you love the most can stink. and plug in febreze to keep your whole room fresh for up to 45 days. breathe happy with febreze. your strips are slippy... whiter than mine? ...mine are grippy. crest whitestrips stay in place. crest whitestrips professional effects... ...lock in the whitening for a whiter smile. these aren't going anywhere. these are. crest... ...healthy, beautiful smiles for life.

♪ my hands are small i know ♪ but they're not yours they are my own ♪ >> reporter: when jewel wrote her top-ten hit "hands", she didn't even know jonathan koch. >> ♪ and i am never broken"♪ >> reporter: but now the song is almost a soundtrack for his life. >> nobody gets through life without pain. not one of us.

we're all going deal with heartbreak, death, trauma. and so i really wrote that song about not being a victim. about taking your happiness in your own hands. >> reporter: and with that new left hand, his first stab at playing guitar, part music lesson, part life lesson. >> wow. this feels really good. >> wow. >> i really like being -- >> you just learned a chord, dude. >> thank you everyone. >> reporter: jonathan koch, the man who made a fortune telling other people's stories, now telling his own, as inspiration. >> none of this is ever going to happen to you, you're never going face it, but things are going to, and good things and bad things and i just would like you to be ready, and some day when you're feeling challenged, that you look back at this and you'll say to yourself, you know what, i can push through this. i can do more than i thought i could. it has already helped, you know, a lot of people, and that means everything to me. >> reporter: but on this day, he takes us back to where it all began. the last time jonathan and jennifer went through this door, they were heading out to an

uncertain future. now they're heading back in. >> oh, my gosh! wow. >> hey! [ applause ] >> reporter: cherishing the chance to say thank you to those same doctors and nurses at george washington university hospital. they may never know what triggered his medical mystery. >> i'm so happy for you. >> thank you. >> welcome back! >> reporter: but seem just as thrilled as he is that they solved it. >> jennifer thank you for saving my husband's life! thank you so much! just for everything. you may be wondering about that anonymous donor. we can tell you he saved two lives in addition to jonathans with his lungs, liver and left hand. his family says they do look forward to meeting jonathan at some point in the future. if you want to know more about organ donation, go to our website. that is our program for tonight. i'm david muir. for elizabeth and all of us at "20/20," thank you for watching. good night.

. >> for some, a deep in