In Their Own Words: Peter Miller

There is nothing that can prepare a parent for a critical illness diagnosis of a child. Moreover, the disruption that such a diagnosis creates in a family unit is beyond comprehension.  I experienced both realities when my daughter was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia and was admitted to a Clinical Trial at the National Institutes of Health.  

When your child is an inpatient at the NIH Clinical Center, you realize the magnitude of the incredible people working on finding the medical breakthroughs that will benefit all of humanity.  However, this positivity is counterbalanced by an understanding of the gravity of the circumstances that brought you there.  My only priority was to find a way to heal my child and in that singular focus, you do not stop to think about where you will sleep, how you will sustain yourself and how you will maintain some sense of normalcy for your family.  

Fortunately, The Children’s Inn at NIH exists to help families address these circumstances.  The Inn is a place that radiates hope and provides a respite from the realities of long days of tests, treatments, and diagnoses.  The Inn provides a place for families to gather and eat together as if their world was still intact and in doing so, also expands the definition of family to include all the parents experiencing the same circumstances you are.  There is comfort in being able to interact with others who have an unspoken understanding of the challenges you are facing.

The Inn provides a critical support element in the care plan of a child.  It is a place to rest, a place to share, and place on which to lean for all the things you didn’t think about. 

 I will always be grateful for the support The Inn and its incredible staff gave so selflessly to me and my family.  My wife and I became members of the Leadership Circle to help ensure that The Inn has the resources to continue their mission of giving hope, joy and support to children and families during their darkest times.