Watch Jennifer Hudson surprise Air Force veteran from Chesterfield with ALS: 'I'm in God's path'

RICHMOND, Va. — A father of two and Air Force veteran from Chesterfield recently received an awesome surprise from Jennifer Hudson on her daytime talk show.

Durell Council wrote into the show to raise awareness about ALS. He was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease in January 2024 after he noticed unusual weakness in his legs.

"I was outside playing with my son, just running around the backyard, and as I took off to run to chase him, something just felt a little off," Council recalled. "And I've always been an active person. I was an Air Force firefighter for seven years, a chef and I would even run five and 10ks with my friends."

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When Hudson asked how Council was feeling, he acknowledged that there are "good days" and "not so good days."

"I'm feeling good... Today is a great day," Council told Hudson. "I'm here and I get the chance to share hope and light and love to others that might be in a hopeless situation right now."

Council said his doctor recently gave him the good news "that he doesn't see any kind of progression" in the disease.

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The Chesterfield father credited his upbringing and strong faith with his positive outlook after the diagnosis.

"My mom and dad instilled faith in God in me at such a young age. So I know as long as I'm in God's path, He's going to keep me where he wants me to be," he said. "But also, I have two young boys at home, Paxton and Rylan, and they're able to just bring a smile to my face and joy every single day. So I fight every single day for them."

Council said he hopes to start his own nonprofit to offer "hope for other people that might be in that dark place."

Then Hudson surprised the Marvel fan with a special gift — tickets to the "Captain America: Brave New World" premiere!

"I'm such a nerd when it comes to Marvel, but my favorite character is Captain America," he said.

Don't miss "The Jennifer Hudson Show" weekdays at 3 p.m. on CBS 6. This season brings a renewed focus on positivity, joy and inspiration.

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