ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our 2015 teacher of the year, gail adams. gail? [applause] >> we are fortunate to have businesses that understand the value of good education here in west virginia. at this time i would also like to recognize two individuals who deserve our thanks for their continued support on the teacher of the year program. mr. fred early, president of highmark blue cross and blue shield, and willy marshall president of toyota manufacturing of west virginia. please stand so we may thank you for your continued commitment to our state's teachers. [applause] >> a strong work force is a drug-free work force. substance abuse is a heart-breaking problem facing families across west virginia each and every day. with the help of the governor's council on substance abuse we've taken bold action to stop the production of meth and increase practiced standards for pain clinics to ensure our residents are using prescription drugs responsibly. over the past two years we have worked together to draft legislation and improve new rules to regulate pain management

adam may has the story. >> a rare and cruel condition robbed gail walls of the man her husband once was.brett walls suffered an uncommon form of stroke where the brain stem is actually severed. it created a condition called locked in syndrome. although brett was fully aware physically all he could do was blink. >> i was very honest with brett. i told him there was no guarantees but stories of recovery. >> brett chose to fight. after several weeks in icu he was stabilized and got an assessment from his acute care doctors. >> i wanted to get him into rehabilitation as soon as possible. that's when we went to united health care to transfer him to a rehabilitation hospital. that's when the denials began. >> after the clock ticking for five months, gail requested intensive rehab therapy. they were turned down, they appealed four times and they were denied five times. "america tonight" reached out to united health care after more than a dozen exchanged e-mails and telephone calls united health care would only speak to us off the record. but they did issue a statement. from the start we have re

"america tonight's" adam may reports on the roadblock one man took on just to live. >> reporter: a rare and cruel condition robbed gailwalls of the person her husband once was. but little did she know was not just a battle for his health. just 51, brett walls suffered an uncommon kind of stroke which made the brain stem disconnected. while mentally, he was tuned in, all he could do was blink. >> that was something he would deal with, for the rest of his life. >> meaning? >> pass away, not go on. >> she found brett's grim prognosis was hasty. there have been locked in syndrome recoveries. but predicated on early and intensive rehab. >> so i was very honest with brett. i told him that there was no guarantees but there are stories of recovery. >> brett chose to fight. and after several weeks in icu he was stabilized and got an assessment from his acute care doctors. >> they decided yes he was a candidate for rehab and they wanted to get him into the rehab program as soon as possible. so that's when we went to united health care for authorization to transfer him to a rehab hospital that's when the denials began. >> what d