Andrew Speaker: Man Behind the Mask

June 2, 2007 — -- Behind the headlines about Andrew Speaker is a man trapped in a room with only one person by his side everyday -- the wife who helped him come to that split-second decision to flee the authorities and take a commercial jet home.

That decision has caused panic around the world.

Confined to months in isolation, Andrew Speaker's life is much different than it was just over two weeks ago when he was standing on the cliffs of Santorini. He was there with friends and family to pledge his love to his new bride -- through sickness and in health. He was a successful personal injury lawyer living in Atlanta. He graduated from Georgia, after spending two years in the Naval Academy.

He completed three marathons, three half Iron-man competitions and was the picture of health, running five to 10 miles a day. He was an active volunteer in the community, raising money for a local hospital and serving on the board of the Boys and Girls Club. He spent five weeks volunteering with the Rotary Club, bringing food and money to orphanages, hospitals and schools in Vietnam; where he believes he contracted XDR tuberculosis. And he was about to marry the love of his life.

"She's just the most amazing woman I've ever had the privilege of spending time with. She's my best friend," he told "Good Morning America" anchor Diane Sawyer in an exclusive interview.

Now, Speaker is confined to a small hospital room in Denver. It is a negative pressure room, designed to suck the air out and kill the germs with UV Rays. The room has blank white walls, two beds and two TVs, which are constantly playing news coverage about his case. Everyone who enters the room, including his new bride, must wear a mask. The Internet is their only shared connection to the outside world and it is being constantly updated by the swarms of journalists outside.

His new wife, Sarah Cooksey, spends nearly every moment by his side, leaving only for a few hours at night to sleep.