history was written, and 11-year-old marcelas owens was part of it. een sharing his mother's story since he was 7. unemployed and uninsured, tiffany owens lost her battle with pulmonary hypertension at the age of 27. her son fought on speaking about health care reformat meetings, at rallies, beginning the week after his mother died. his work did not go unnoticed. president obama, paying tribute to the brave fifth grader from seattle on tuesday. >> i'm signing it for 11-year-old marcelas owens. marcelas lost his mom to an illness. so in her memory, he has told her story across america so that no other children have to go through what his family's experienced. >> joining me now as promised, it is my great pleasure to present health care activist marcelas owens. marcelas, good evening. thank you for joining us tonight. >> it's good to be on the show. >> now, i know you got into this i've read and i've heard you talk about getting into this because of what happened to your mother. but you got into it before president obama did. you got into it a few years

marcelas owens was the young boy standing next to president obama when mr.signed the landmark health care reform bill. owens' mother died after losing her health insurance, but his story became a punch line for conservative hosts, including limbaugh. >> i would also say this to marcelas owens. well, your mom would have still died because obama care doesn't kick in until 2014 if they sign it this year. >> now, marcelas says he's taking the attacks from limbaugh in stride. he says his mother taught him that everyone has an opinion but it doesn't necessarily make them right. >> it's amazing. the one who's going to bring civility to the argument is an 11-year-old? maybe that's what we need right now. certainly also a contentious decision that could put the end to diversity in one city's public schools. this one got a little ugly as well. that story is coming up just ahead. >>> usually we pick a new hero to highlight here on cnn each week. well, this week one of our old heroes has actually topped herself so if you have not already, you'll meet her next. [ male an

ed, you spoke to marcelas owens, is that his name?: that's right, he's from seattle. 11 years old. you saw him yesterday right next to the president of the united states when he was signing the bill. a young kid, really mature for his age. he's got a very difficult story, as you know, his mother lost her job several years ago, then lost her health coverage, got sick and she died of pulmonary hypertension, so the president was saying this is sort of one of the people that he was signing the legislation for. i caught up with him, because after the signing, many hours later, he was called back to the white house for a private meeting with the president. i got to talk to him. just take a listen. >> i was thinking that my mom would have been proud and that her dreams would have come true today. >> reporter: so, you know, obviously we're trying to put a face on this story. who are some of the people that would be affected. his mother would have been someone who would have gotten this coverage, and, you know, obvio obviously it wouldn't have

hand that president obama shook this morning after signing the health care into law was that of marcelas owens, an 11-year-old boy who in recent weeks has become an advocate for reform, in memory of his mother tiffany. she lost her life to a treatable insurance because she did not have insurance and could not afford the basic care she needed. today the fifth grader, wearing a tie matching the president's, said it's tough not having my mom around but she has been with me in spirit every time i talk. i hope i've made her proud. marcelas was standing at the president's side when he put pen to paper, make that pens, plural, 22 of them. each of them an invaluable gift the president gives to the luckiest and most powerful dignitaries in the room. with his signature president obama made what once seemed impossible the law of the land. >> today after almost a century of trying, today after over a year of debate, today after all the votes have been tallied health insurance reform becomes law in the united states of america. >> earlier in the proceedings vice president biden not accustomed to standing n

i'm signing it for 11 year old marcelas owens, who's also here. she didn't have insurance. couldn't afford the care that she needed. so in her memory, he has told her story across america so that no other children have to go through what his family has experienced. [applause] >> i'm signing up for natoma canfield. . . [applause] to senator ted kennedy and it's fitting that ted's widow vickie is here. [applause] it's fitting that teddy's widow vickie is here and his niece, caroline, his son patrick who has helped make this for a reality. [cheers and applause] i remember seeing ted walk through that door in a summit in this room a year ago, one of his last book appearances. it was hard for him to make, but he was confident that we would do the right thing. our presence here today is remarkable and improbable, with all the punditry, all the lobbying, all the gameplay that passes for governing in washington, it's been easy at times to doubt our ability to do such a big income is such a complicated thing. to wonder if there are limits to what we have t

[applause] i heard the story of a 11-year old marcela owens who is right here. he is looking sharp.e and i made sure to coordinate our ties. it looks good. [laughter] he is a wonderful young man. he lost his mom to an illness. she did not have insurance. she cannot afford the care she needed. in her memory, marcelas has told her story across america so that no other children has to go through what his family has experienced. that is why we do not quit. i heard from folks who had to give up her health coverage after rates were it jacked up by almost 40%. she is terrified that an illness would mean to with this the house that your parents built, but she also knew that if she burdened by a these huge premiums that you not be able to pay the mortgage. she decided not to keep her health insurance. she is now lying in her hospital bed as we speak face was such an illness. she is praying that she could somehow afford to get one. her sister connie is here today. it is because of natoma's family that we could not quit. i have met people like ashley who worked for my campaign. where is she? t