Backstreet Boys' handsome Brian Littrell is well known for his joking nature, but life wasn't always full of laughter for Brian. Born with a heart murmur and a hole in his heart as well, Brian was diagnosed with a disease of the blood and the heart at the age of five. Properly termed, a staph infection is what Brian and his family had to now deal with.

Brian went through the first five years of his life never even suspecting that something was wrong with his heart; he was as energetic and healthy as any normal five year old boy. It was only when he skinned his knee from an accident on his bike that the staph infection first set in, but Brian wasn't aware even then. Two weeks later, little Brian had another accident and was taken to the hospital by his worried mom, who feared he might have a concussion. Well, it wasn't Brian's head that was the problem; it was the staph infection, which had now progressed to a full blown infection.

After the diagnosis, young Brian had to be hospitalized for two months and was told that this blood disease was fatal. You can imagine the horror and fear that Brian and his family felt when they heard the tragic news. The sweet, full of life boy that loved to run and play was now confined to a wheelchair, weak, pale and very scared. "I remember it very well. I used to dream about it, I have a lot of bad memories about it, because of how unhealthy I was and how the infection had set into my blood," says Brian.

The doctors told Brian's parents that he had a zero chance of living and they advised them to go ahead with funeral arrangements. Brian's mother was absolutely devastated by this tragic news and turned to the church for help and support. Brian says that as a child, he "ate, drank and slept" church whether he wanted to or not. A deeply religious family, the Littrells had a great amount of faith and hoped that when and if the time ever came, their prayers would be answered.

Unfortunately, the time did come and they prayed, but Brian's disease was still alive, as his youthful spirit was slowly dying. Brian had to take certain medication and he was sure the disease was never going to leave his body, but one day, a miracle occurred and the Littrell's prayers were finally answered. Day by day, the infection seemed to disappear and Brian was on the road to recovery at last!

"I thank God for that experience," Brian says. "I know that it was a miracle. There's no medicine that could keep me on this earth." After that near fatal experience, Brian began to look at God and religion in a new light. The doctors told Brian that if he did live, his strength would cease and he wouldn't be able to do anything strenuous or stressful. He had proved them wrong the first time and he was going to do the same now.

Having protective parents, though, hindered his determination slightly, but eventually they saw that their son was growing strong and healthy with each passing day. Brian says that the whole experience made his relationship with his parents grow closer than ever and he also realized that everything happens for a reason.

"When the singing came along with church, the older I got, the more I realized that maybe God kept me on this earth so I could use the gift that he gave me to be an entertainer," Brian says. Today, it goes without saying that there is nothing that Brian can't do. He's a successful singer, a member of one of the hottest bands in the world and most important of all, he's healthy and happy!

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