CHARACTER COUNTS

Teddy bear drive, speeches help Emery Miller inspire children to overcome adversity

Oct 3, 2016, 12:35 PM | Updated: Jan 23, 2017, 3:54 pm

Courtesy Emery Miller

Perry High School’s Emery Miller appears like the average, over-achieving high school senior.

He’s on the baseball team, the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club and has done more community work than most adults have in a lifetime. But to understand why all those things are remarkable begins with what he’s endured — four open-heart surgeries, countless additional procedures and enough time spent in the hospital growing up that he calls Phoenix Children’s Hospital his second home.

“We joke, we had a parking spot,” he said. “It actually had my picture on it.”

Miller’s face being on his parking spot isn’t hyperbole. He has become a poster boy for all the good the hospital does, but that’s only part of what the long-time patient contributes to those who need a bit of inspiration.

Miller’s success story goes well beyond being healthy enough to play baseball.

His charity work began when he started doing the local Heart Walk, and his group, Team Emery, has led the event’s fund-raising 12 out of the last 13 years, he said.

The miss? A 2014 visit to the White House and Barack Obama to speak with the president about child healthcare got in the way. He’ll take that L.

Miller is most well-known for the annual bear drive that began in Phoenix. It now spans eight states and 22 hospitals. He hopes that reaches 10-12 states by next year and even has a contact in Poland interested in doing a bear drive.

So far, it has raised 17,504 teddy bears that are handed out to hospitalized children. Beyond the material stuffed animal, the bears come with a note, introducing Miller to young patients with the hope it inspires them to fight. Then, it asks them to pay their fight forward.

“You know that someone went out of their way to get to you,” Miller said of the teddy bears. “I hope when they get it it just makes them stronger. Half of it is mental, half of it is you’re sick. Half of it is, ‘I’m going to do it.'”

Miller came up with the idea when he was in the fifth grade. After hearing a church sermon, he asked how he could give back. His mother and he came up with the teddy bear idea; she went to Facebook simply to show how proud she was of his thoughtfulness.

“She posted our conversation on Facebook, which was seven years ago now. Within a half-hour, we had over 45 comments,” Miller said. “That’s how it started.”

Now, it’s grown at an incredible rate.

That keeps Miller busy, but his experience has gone well beyond helping to run the non-profit.

He has been a keynote speaker for the American Heart Associated, PCH, United Way and currently talks to at-risk children for Lift Up America. Miller speaks on his own experience with the motivational message of overcoming negative life experiences.

Miller wants to do more with that message that has helped him understand and connect with young children who face adversity.

His next goal: Create a scholarship given to those who have overcome adversity and done something to give back. Miller wants the scholarship to be in the name of his late friend, Dustin Tack.

As for his own future, Miller is in good hands. Between his speaking experience and business experience that few high school students possess, his path seems certain. He would like to continue playing baseball, perhaps on a scholarship. More importantly, the senior says a double-major in communications and business with a minor in ministry would fit him perfectly.

That will help him continue running Team Emery while eyeing a career as a professional motivation speaker.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Character Counts

Paris Johnson Jr. looks on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Paris Johnson Jr. eyeing ways to extend his foundation’s reach in Arizona

Don't let his age fool you, Cardinals offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. is no stranger to giving back to the communities around him.

8 days ago

Runners take off after the starting gun at Pat's Run in Tempe. The race, will be run on April 13 th...

Character Counts

The 20th annual Pat’s Run set take place in Tempe on April 13

The 20th iteration of Pat's Run is set to take place in Tempe on April 13 to honor the life and legacy of Pat Tillman.

12 days ago

Follow @AZSports...

Character Counts

Bradley Beal hooked up Devin Booker fans who supported Suns in Denver

Suns fans who showed up to in Devin Booker jerseys at Ball Arena in Denver got a special gift from Bradley Beal afterward.

21 days ago

Aani Nagaiah, front row far right, is the winner among 10 finalists for the 2024 Character Counts s...

Character Counts

Arcadia senior wins 2024 Character Counts Scholarship

Arcadia's Aani Nagaiah on Wednesday night was presented as the winner of the 2024 Character Counts scholarship courtesy of Parker & Sons.

28 days ago

ASU's HBE uniforms...

Arizona Sports

Arizona State basketball fans can now rock Sun Devils’ HBE jerseys

Arizona State basketball's Honoring Black Excellence jerseys are being released to fans for the first time this month.

1 month ago

Baltimore Ravens tighe end Mark Andrews...

Character Counts

Ravens TE, diabetes advocate Mark Andrews helped woman during health scare on flight

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who has Type 1 diabetes, helped a woman during a medical emergency on a flight to Arizona.

2 months ago

Teddy bear drive, speeches help Emery Miller inspire children to overcome adversity