For those in the social circle of Chuck “C.D.” Miller, they’ve more often than not been witness to an upbeat individual who has taken life with gusto and found success along the way. If he posted his credentials to those not knowing him, the same conclusion being drawn that Miller is someone never taken off his feet in life would be a fair assumption.

 

After all, along with being academically engaged as a member of Bridgeport High School’s Class of 1987, he also was a member of the Indians’ ’86 state championship football squad under the late and legendary Coach Wayne Jamison.

 

Miller followed that act up with an undergraduate degree from West Virginia University in journalism in 1991. And for those who have read his social media posts and will continue to read this blog, they know those skills have served him well.

 

He wasn’t done. He came out of law school in Morgantown in 1994 and was on his way in life. There were multiple stops at multiple destinations, including a pair of times living in Hawaii before he ended up where he is now just outside of Philadelphia in the King of Prussia community.

 

Today, he’s not letting a recent business venture with a gym get him down. He’s serving as a copyrighter for an agency that does fundraising letters (fundraising was part of his gig in Hawaii) and is also a part-time strength and conditioning coach for the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Coach, state champion, business man, business owner, college graduate and more. The titles were and remain plenty.

 

Certainly, it would take something pretty life altering or major to knock the always upbeat Miller for a loop. Unfortunately, life handed him the cruelest of situations and it’s one he’s been dealing with and is doing something about years later.

 

In 2013, the title Chuck Miller loved the most was leveled. Chuck Miller, the father, lost his daughter Ruby. It’s important to know Ruby’s story and what Chuck did while she was still with him and what he’s doing now in her honor.

 

Ruby Miller was born in July of 2007. She was born prematurely at two pounds and was in the NICU for more than a month. Eventually, Ruby came home with Chuck and his former wife Mary.

 

“She was healthy, but had lung issues throughout her life because of the premature birth and she was an underdeveloped child,” said Miller. “ … She dealt with pneumonia a few times, but our hope, any parent’s hope, was she would eventually be completely healthy.”

 

Just shy of Ruby’s sixth birthday, in 2013, the joy of the Miller household was tempered when Ruby came down with pneumonia once again. While at Children’s National Hospital, Ruby came down with sepsis as a result of the pneumonia.

 

This beautiful child, fresh out of kindergarten, would pass.

 

“She died as the result of sepsis,” Miller said. “I’m certain it was all related to her premature birth and being underdeveloped … She was hospitalized a week before she passed and she went downhill quickly.

 

Miller described Ruby as super active, but really small. He said she was a very non-verbal youngster for most of her entirely too short life.

 

“Outwardly, she looked normal. She was so cute and little, always active, but she had those fragile lungs. We just didn’t know if she was going to catch up physically,” said Miller. “Ruby was never diagnosed with anything and since she was non-verbal we checked to see if she was autistic, but that wasn’t the case. She just lived as a small child.”

 

The size was an issue as it kept Ruby behind in many things. Something as simple as eating was an ordeal for his daughter as she had to learn how to eat solid foods and even to eat correctly. There were many struggles, but constant love, in his daughter’s short life.

 

“I struggled with it, and often still do. I moved to Hawaii and back twice since she passed. I’ve had trouble finding my footing, but in fairness I was having some trouble even before she passed,” said Miller. “Her passing has given me a new perspective. I don’t worry about the little things and take more chances to do things that I want to do. I can assure you before this happened I would have never tried opening a gym. Now, if I want to do it and life gives me the opportunity I do it.”

 

That leads Chuck Miller to what he’s been focusing on lately. It’s something he did when Ruby was still alive, still bouncing off the walls and still there to greet him each morning with a smile.

 

“What I decided to do is the result of her love of life. She woke up happy every day and giggling,” said Miller. “She cherished every moment; everything she did was important to her. That’s why I’m doing this.”

 

During Ruby’s life, Miller decided he was going to write a children’s book. He wrote it when Ruby was just three and the family knew she was behind the others her age with her development.

 

“It’s a short story, about 1,000 words and a lot of pictures. It’s about an underdeveloped child at different stages in her life that is behind her peers,” said Miller. “I wrote it from a hopeful perspective of any parent watching their child struggle. I wanted to talk about not setting limitations and let it play out to see where life will take your child. Hopefully, the message of acceptance and understanding will come through as well.”

 

The book is tilted “Will Little Roo Ever …?” As one may imagine, its main character is Ruby - "Roo" - and it follows her journey from infancy to day one of school. It’s also about acceptance and tolerance and plays to an audience bigger than families who may have an underdeveloped child.

 

The book was written and complete years ago. A solid writer, Miller was set to have it published, but that fell through. So he decided to go through the self-publishing world and set up a kickstarter.com page. The fundraising page set a goal of raising the $5,000 needed to publish the book and Miller is just over that goal.

 

Unlike other fundraising sites, if the goal isn’t reached and pledges aren’t received then the entire deal is off and the money is returned to the donors. While Miller is just over the goal, a few additional donations would help make sure that if a few that can’t meet their obligation it won’t end the goal of the book.

 

“If this goes through I could have it done quickly. The illustrations are nearly finished so that would allow me to get it out fairly soon,” said Miller. “I need to find the best platform for an e-book and a hard copy that’s nice and affordable. It may be ready by the New Year, but I won’t rush it.”

 

The book, he said, would have sat on a shelf in a family home had Ruby lived. It would have been read during family gatherings and to children. Now, the book is about to come to life off of that shelf and Miller hopes it gets read by others and could potentially make a difference.

 

“It’s about her, but again the book isn’t about her. For certain, it’s a legacy to her and children with developmental delays,” said Miller, who today is a power lifter and coach as well as in good shape for 48 or any age for that matter. “My daughter and I were really close and she thought I was a gorilla and just climbed all over me. I guess there was the juxtaposition of me being big and her being small, but I never thought of anything but loving her. I hope this book shows the love.”

 

For those still in Miller’s social circle they know it will. For those not, when the book comes out and you’ll see and read the love. And in way, you’ll be in that circle too.

 

Trust me, Ruby will be there too.

 

Editor’s Note: For those wanting to pledge to Chuck Miller’s book and read more about it and Ruby. Please click HERE to be taken to the account page. The fundraising ends August 2 at 10:16 a.m. As for the photos, top picture shows Chuck Miller reading to Ruby the book "I Like Myself" followed by a photo of Chuck's mother Jo in her grandmother role playing the piano. In the third photo, Chuck and "Roo" spend some time on the beach. Bottom photo shows the cover illustration of his children's book.