that has turned deadly. what is your plan to combat this rising hatred? >> as a mother of two teenagers who are soon to go to college, my question for the candidates is how do you address the rising cost and quality of education and the debt burden associated with it? >> how will you protect the lgbtq community through actions and policies, specifically ones that protect transwomen of color? >> what is your plan to combat the mental health and addiction crisis in america? >> i want to know what you as a candidate are going to do about climate change and what real action you're going take. >> hi, i'm tyler. >> and aim moira, and our 4-year-old son has special needs resulting from meningitis as an infant. in 1975, congress passed the individuals with disabilities act mandating that all students with disabilities be provided a free and appropriate education. however, since then it has never been fully funded. >> we would like to know what you will do to ensure adequate funding for students like our son in all public institutions.

>> i was able to attend medical school because of my legal status. how would you galvanize congress so that they can pass relief and supportive legislation for refugees and undocumented immigrants? >> i became an advocate for people experiencing homeless 20 years ago when my brother first became homeless due to mental illness. every night over a half million people are without a home. i want to know what you're going to do to address this crisis immediately, partnering with state and local government. >> the u.s. is predicted to have a shortage of 120,000 doctors by 2030. how do we prepare to care for our citizens in the coming future? >> i switched from registered democrat to independent due to the dnc failures on the current platform. if you were the nominee, how is the de facto leader of the democratic party, would you do damage control and woo back people like myself? >> as young people, we face a difficult economic future.

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a cute young man named alec. well, alec is on a mission, as he explained to lee cowan. >> reporter: there are few places both as hopeful and as heartbreaking as a children's hospital. >> try not banging into everybody, okay? >> reporter: while there are many, chances are you may know shriners hospitals for children. >> and action. >> reporter: because of one very special patient. >> imagine a kid who is told his disability will be a life-long struggle. now imagine a place where that same kid is told he can do anything. i don't have to imagine because that kid is me. >> i used to be known as just that kid in the wheelchair, and now i'm alec on the commercials. and that's special to me. >> so what is love? >> reporter: if you've seen him, see pretty hard to forget. >> hey, alec. >> reporter: chicago's alec is one of the spokes kids for shriners. since he started doing these ads five years ago --

>> with your monthly gift, we'll send you this adorable rescue blanket as a donation. >> reporter: donations have skyrocketed, right along with his bloopers. >> you support -- [ laughter ] >> come back. >> do you feel like you've gotten better as you've done more of them? >> no. >> those kids see him as a mentor, and that's who he is going to be. >> reporter: the producer and director picked alec for a reason. >> he is special. sorry. i get emotional. because he just grabs people without having to try. >> he has this life force in him that not a lot of people have. i do't know. i just fell in love with him. >> i amu. >> oh, thank you. >> you are one of the greatest experiences i've ever seen for the shrine. >> thank you. >> reporter: shriners, known for their tall crimson hats is a

fraternal brotherhood that has been doing charity work for more than 150 years. >> you're a big celebrity in our house. >> oh, appreciate that thank you very much. >> reporter: alec helps spread their mission. but with 2 hospitals all around north america, that means he is on the road about 80 days a year. it's a demanding job for anyone, let alone this 17-year-old whose bones are about as fragile as a teacup. >> i've broken over 60 bones in my lifetime. it will be with me for my life. i'll live with it until i die. >> reporter: that's what brought alec to shriners in the first place. a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecting, better known as brittle bone disease. his parents, alma and gil, got the news before he was born. what did you guys think when the doctors first told you? >> pretty scary. >> it was very emotional for us. we tried for our fourth child,

and hopefully it was going to be a son. and when we learned it was a son and learned that he had a disability, it was quite emotional. >> all right, very good. >> reporter: brittle bone disease is just what it sounds like. alec's bones are so delicate, he can crack a rib even with something as simple as a sneeze. physical interpret like this helps, but there is no cure. >> 15 minutes? >> reporter: and does it hurt? >> no. >> your shoulder or up in here? >> no, it's been feeling really good lately. >> reporter: his long-time physician at shriners chicago is orthopedic surgeon smith. an expert in brittle bone disease. >> i'm healthy right now. right now we're staying away from dr. smith. [ laughter ] i got you. >> rep hik any other kid. he is into video games, and more recently, cars.

in fact, he's going for his drivers license. >> myht turn, i drove into a ditch. >> reporter: so today is going to be better? >> today is going to be better, i promise you. >> check your mirror, check your rear zone. >> reporter: there are pedal extensions so he can reach the accelerator and the brake, but really, that's about it. he has been doing so well with his lessons. >> you're joking with me. no, you're joking. stop playing. >> reporter: that his parents surprised him. with his very own car. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: giving him the feeling of independence that any teen gets, but for alec infinitely more. >> he doesn't want to have any special treatment. he wants to be treated like everyone else. i think that's probably one of the things he has to fight for the most. >> reporter: everything alec does, he does with gusto.

including wheelchair basketball. >> aghh! >> it's the contact, it's the fast pace, it's everything you have in sports but just in a wheelchair. >> reporter: no limits? >> no limits, right. >> reporter: sports, just about any sport, is his escape. alec plays so often here, shriner's even named the court after him. >> this place is very special to me. i took my first steps on this court. this is home. >> camera rolling. action. >> reporter: he thought of being a sports broadcaster, in fact, which explains the makeshift tv studio that is in alec's bedroom. years ago, he started his own youtube channel called smart aleck on sports. >> hey, everybody, welcome to smart aleck on sports. >> reporter: it turns out alec is an encyclopedia of stats and trivia. >> tiger woods has gone through a lot of surgeries, but i think i'm beating him in that category. >> reporter: he was so good, tnt even welcomed him on its nba

halftime show. >> i really appreciate the bow tie you're sporting here tonight. >> an,ks you, thank you. >> what about the rest of us. >> yeah will, you do anything for us? >> i mean, i was going to shave my head. >> reporter: he makes it all look so easy. but of course none of it really is. >> there is a lot of tough days where i just -- i want to sometimes just give up. i just want to just stop, and it's hard to live with, but there is a lot of kids who have more challenges in life, and i'm pretty fortunate. >> reporter: but doing that every day isn't easy. >> it's not easy. it's not hard, though. >> reporter: hard is relative in alec's life, always has been. but behind him, every step of the way have been his parents. the fact that during this shoot overwhelmed him. >> hey, everyone, i'm alec.

i'm with my mom, my dad. >> reporter: alec's grateful heart seemed like it was about to burst. >> you wanted the best care, the best doctors, for your baby son, and i just wanted to tell you guy guys i love you momma, and i love you, dad. >> reporter: how could anything be more genuine than that? >> we love you too. >> reporter: in this season of giving, we can all receive a little something from alec, a lesson in what grace really looks like. >> i don't know too much about what will happen to me in the future, but if -- if something bad does happen, i know that

we'll get through it. i know tomorrow is going to be a better day,

last week we brought you this story of a miracle on ice. an amateuroa leading the carolina hurricanes to victory over the toronto maple leafs. he made it look easy. so steve hartman decided to give it a try in this morning's "on the road." >> reporter: when a former zamboni driver took to the ice last week as an emergency replacement goaltender and stopped eight out of ten shots, he became an overnight sensation. interviews and autographs, everyone celebrating the average joe who appeared to be as good as an nhl goalie. but i wondered if maybe the opposite was true, that maybe nhl goalies are no better than the average joe. to test my theory, i suited up the most average joe i know, me. prior to this, the only hockey

position i ever played was hockey dad. >> ready? got it? >> reporter: my son emmett signed up for lessons a few months ago. and from my place in the stands, i almost immediately started questioning the goalie position. is it really as hard as everyone makes it look? or might a bale of hay perform just as well? so this week i brought my skepticism to springfield, massachusetts, home of the minor league's springfield i their go. like everyone else in america, chris was amazed that a zamboni driver can do so well. can you believe it? >> i can, because i think goalieing is a lot easier than most people think. >> you can go out there and make some saves. they're going to hit you sometimes. you take up the net. >> reporter: a goal opening is 24 feet. but a person in pads takes up almost half that, leaving just a few pockets to defend. >> i predict i'm going block eight out of ten. i drive a car. how different is that than a

zamboni? >> reporter: and with, that it was time to put my lack of skills to the test. my opponent would be no slouch, a prime nhl prospect named henrik borgstrom. you think you can score on me every time? >> i think so, ye. you can't even hold your stick right. >> reporter: game on, rink rat. >> he is kind of slowish. >> >> reporter: as our experiment progressed and the taste of crow filled my sense. >> that was close. >> reporter: i started to believe that not only is this job hard -- >> i touched it! >> reporter: it may be one of the mostsible in sports. >> that's cheating. >> reporter: in t end,e made nine out of ten. >> you missed! >> reporter: and i made a promise, that next time anything looks easy, i'm keeping my big goal shut. steve hartman, on the road in springfield, massachusetts. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this super tuesday. we'll have continuing coverage of the races throughout the evening. from the cbs broadcast center in

new york city, i'm don dahler. it's tuesday, march 3rd, 2020. this is the "cbs morning news." coronavirus victims. four more people have died in the u.s., bringing the total to six, as another state reports its first cases. worldwide spread. we hear from a scientist who says nearly half of adults will likely get the coronavirus. >> there are going to be millions of people dying, and i don't think there's any way to get around that. and narrowing the field. there now just five democratic candidates vying for delegates on this super tuesday as joe biden receives some big as joe biden receives some big endorsements. captioning funded by cbs g