ARTICLE FROM TEEN PEOPLE: BRIAN

Brian Littrell is lucky to be alive. When he was five years old, his heart suddenly stopped beating for about 30 seconds. "I remember them taking me out of bed and putting me in a tub of ice to cool my body off," the Lexington, Ky., native says of the nightmarish hospital stay that doctors said should have been his last. "Then they put me back in bed with only a sheet to cover me. Ten minutes later, they put me back in the ice. This kept up for an hour. Then I blacked out." His mom, Jackie, watched as her son's eyes rolled back in his head. Warned that Brian, his heart weakened and infected, probably wasn't going to make it, she did the only thing she could: pray. "I just had a faith inside that this wasn't the end for Brian," says Jackie. "God just reached down and touched that child, and he started on his way up." Eighteen years later, the Littrells, Jackie and Harold, found themselves once again worrying about the health of their younger son (Brian's brother, Harold Jr., is 26). Last November, doctors discovered that the congenital hole in Brian's heart had caused the organ to enlarge considerably: If it wasn't operated on soon, his life could be in danger. "My initial thought was, 'Great timing!'" Brian says, sighing. The Boys were finally successful in the U.S., thanks to their first chart-topping single, "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)." Two months without a lead singer would seriously impact the group. So, for the benefit of his band -- and against his parents' wishes -- Brian put off the procedure for six months. (He finally underwent surgery in May and is now fully recovered.) Brian's mom resigned herself to his decision: "He's always been a team player." And a fighter. Jackie recalls Brian's annual attempts to join his high school basketball team: "He never made it, because of his size." Finally, after getting cut yet again his junior year, the church choirboy made an announcement. "I learned something today," he said. "I can play ball as good as any of those guys, but none of them can sing like me." And now he's got the fans to prove it.