While on a walk, Eric Miller and his 16-month old son Micah were injured when they were hit by a van. When Eric and his wife Jen realized that Micah would not recover, they chose to donate Micah's heart valves. “We would give almost anything not to have been in this situation, but at the same time because of this, we were able to offer hope to another family,” said Eric. “We’ve learned so much from one little 16-month-old boy.”

Eric's Story

When Eric and Jenna Miller married in 1999, they intended to wait five years before having children. Their son, Micah, came as a wonderful surprise two years later. Eric, now 31, remembers holding Micah in the hours after his birth, asking himself, “What will he be like? Who will he marry?”

Micah’s life unfolded, but not as Eric and Jenna had ever imagined. Less than 18 months later, Eric again held Micah in his arms as he lost his struggle to survive a devastating head injury. “It was the worst moment of my life,” Eric recalled.

Micah's death was preceded by a peaceful walk through the Millers’ Spokane neighborhood in August 2003. A van approaching from behind hit Eric and Micah, who was in a carrier on Eric’s back. They were thrown nearly 60 feet. Eric suffered a concussion and soft tissue damage and regained consciousness with no long-term ill effects. But Micah sustained a serious head injury that left him comatose. Doctors at Spokane’s Sacred Heart Hospital initially gave the Millers a good prognosis, but Micah’s condition declined. After the heartbreaking experience of expecting a full recovery and then facing the worst, Eric and Jenna chose to withdraw life support.

Eric and Jenna chose to donate Micah’s heart valves, which helped to save the life of a baby boy from New Mexico. Micah’s heart valves repaired the 10-month old child’s congenital heart defect.

“Micah’s death changed us forever,” Eric acknowledged. “We would give almost anything not to have been in this situation, but at the same time because of this, we were able to offer hope to another family. We’ve learned so much from one little 16-month old boy.”