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Alex Cabrero Reporting The National Spelling Bee is now two weeks away, and a Utah teenager is getting ready to win it all. It'll be his dream come true, not because of the title but because of the attention that comes with it.
We first met Kunal Sah a year ago when we interviewed his parents at the Green River hotel they own, before they were deported back to India. Now, Kunal says this national spelling bee is his best shot to get someone to listen to his story, if he can win it all.
It's the letters from strangers that help keep Kunal Sah studying when he feels so alone. He has them from all across the country from those who've heard his story.
Kunal says, "It's just, it overwhelms me how many people actually care about the case."
Who wouldn't care about a 13-year old boy whose parents are halfway around the world because of immigration laws? Ten months ago we met with Ken and Sarita Sah, right before they were deported to India, forced to leave the Green River hotel they own. The paperwork for their citizenship was denied.
Now, Kunal knows if he can add a National Spelling Bee title to his several state titles, maybe somebody with political power will hear his story and help. "It should get attention on me and then everybody will know about my story, and then probably President Bush or Orrin Hatch will probably do something," he said.
President Bush usually meets the winner of the national competition, which is why Kunal is studying two hours a day, so he can have those few seconds with the president to ask him for a letter.
"'Do anything you can to bring my parents back.' that's all I'd say," Kunal told KSL.
Kunal's story was on the front page of the New York Times last week. CNN, FOX News, and NBC News have also all been to Green River to do stories on him, so he is getting attention for his parents, but he says to get the kind of attention that might change things, he has to win it all.
