We are the Millar family, and this is our story of how our 5th child brought together a community in a way we would have never imagined. We weren’t born or raised here, but when we moved here, we realized Chillicothe was where we wanted to be. The sense of community and love for your neighbor was shared with us the day we moved here. Six plus years later, we still feel the love, as this showed up enormously when our baby was born prematurely at 28 weeks, weighing in at only 2 lbs. 11 ounces. My water unexpectedly broke, and upon arriving at the hospital, the Doctors realized she had a brain bleed through ultrasound. They decided that she needed to come out immediately. When Millie was born, it was, and still is, unknown why her brain was bleeding and why my water broke. These things are seemingly unrelated, and we may never know why, but we are thankful it did; otherwise, we may not have had the miracle that Millie is here with us today. This is the point in our story where we quickly realize what a fantastic support system we have in our little community. From our church family to firefighting family, to our neighbors and friends, and come to find out quickly, those we have never met want to bless our family in many different ways. 

The future of Millie is uncertain. We were informed that she had suffered a grade 4 brain hemorrhage and that a shunt would need to be inserted in her head to drain fluid. There was a critical period during which this procedure was required; it couldn’t be done too soon, as she was too young, but it also couldn’t be delayed too much, as the accumulation of fluid could severely harm her brain. We turned to prayer for Millie. Seeing the outpouring of love and support was amazing as hundreds of people began praying specifically for her healing. Fortunately, those prayers were felt, and once again, we were blown away by the amount of love and support for our growing family. My husband and I travel to and from the hospital multiple times a day. When I am not there, he is there, and vice versa. 

There’s an upcoming event called “Mighty Millie” on April 6th, 2024; this event is not just an ordinary celebration or fundraiser but a beautiful reminder of the strength and power of our community. It was organized by our beloved friend Jen, who is also a firefighter with my husband, Tyler. This event aims to help our family during this uncertain time and, hopefully, other families in need for years to come. Mighty Millie’s event is a beautiful celebration of compassion and generosity that allows us to unite as a community, inspire each other, and positively impact the lives of those in need. Join us for a beautiful celebration filled with music, delicious food, exciting raffles, and much more. Your presence will make it even more special.