ABC News is putting the finishing touches on a prime time special about Dr. Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon Professor who is dying from pancreatic cancer and whose "last lecture" reflecting on life's lessons has become an internet sensation.

ABC News president David Westin sent a memo to the staff tonight about next Wednesday's special. "Every once in a while we come across a person who has something important to say and that each of us will want to take the time to hear," Westin writes. "Such a man is Professor Randy Pausch."

Westin also provides full disclosure in his internal email: "Next week, Dr. Pausch's book, "The Last Lecture" will be published by our sister company, Hyperion. It turns out that Dr. Pausch's connections with the Walt Disney Company go back a very long way; he always aspired to be an Disney Imagineer."

Click continued to read the memo and see a preview.

----- Original Message -----
From: Westin, David L.
To: ABCTV News ALL
Sent: Wed Apr 02 19:00:21 2008
Subject: The Last Lecture

Every once in a while we come across a person who has something important to say and that each of us will want to take the time to hear. Such a man is Professor Randy Pausch.

Most of you will have seen parts or all of the "last lecture" delivered by Professor Randy Pausch a while ago. You probably saw it first on Good Morning America, which put parts of it on their program. And then Diane went to interview Dr. Pausch, portions of which also appeared on Good Morning America. You know from these that Dr. Pausch is a 47 year-old father of three young children who has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. And that he has come forward in a truly special way to talk about his life, his family, his disease, and life — not just his life but all of our lives.

Diane and her team have produced an extraordinary hour on Dr. Pausch that will air next Wednesday evening, April 9, at 10p. THE LAST LECTURE: A Love Story For Your Life. Next week, Dr. Pausch's book, "The Last Lecture" will be published by our sister company, Hyperion. It turns out that Dr. Pausch's connections with the Walt Disney Company go back a very long way; he always aspired to be an Disney Imagineer.

Below is the link to a short clip produced from the hour. You can see it as a promo, which it is. But much more, it's a reason to take the time to think about a wonderful man and the profound things he has to say.

http://www.abcnews.com/lastlecture