THE WONDER MILLER KID | KAIROS GLOBAL | JANUARY 2024

Author: Vincy Stephenson

Intro: Everyone wants to go to heaven, but who wants to go early? Vincy Stephenson writes about young Malachi Miller.

Meet Malachi Patrick Miller, the quick-witted young teenager who lived a life of legacy within his short span on earth. 

A year-long suffering and pain couldn’t put him back. The young teenager fought his best and was ‘joyfully’ well-prepared to meet his dad in heaven. In the brief span of his life, Malachi Miller left an imprint on many lives.

Swift Entry 

Malachi Patrick Miller, entered the world in a rush on August 23, 2010 in Gorham, Kansas. It was as though he couldn't wait, having a whole lot to accomplish. Malachi was the fourth of six children of the Miller family, who referred to themselves as the ‘Miller six-pack’. 

Among the six, Malachi was the quick-witted child, who was known for his great sense of humour. He loved putting a smile on everyone’s face, no matter what he went through, and was quite known to everyone in town. As a child, whenever his parents took him to the chapel, he would see angels there. Befriending anyone was cakewalk for him – even striking up a conversation with strangers. 

A Life Well-Accomplished

Malachi was a multi-talented young chap, he mastered violin at the age of 4, and piano at the age of 6. A good singer, he used his voice until his treatment made it impossible to sing. Malachi, tried his best to live his life to its fullest every single day. 

He made sure to start and end his day with prayer. He also devoted most of his time for others; for a while, he volunteered as camera operator for the local PBS television, at the age of 8. 

Passionate about utilising his skills and talents, Malachi devoted a significant amount of his time to the Big Creek 4-H Club, a youth development programme. Malachi was also the proud owner of a champion duck, Nibbles, and during hospital stays, made sure the doctors and nurses knew of it too. 

Malachi had exceptional writing skills as well. With four books written and illustrated for the PBS Kids Writers Contest, Malachi excelled as an author. His literary achievements underscored not only his creativity but also his unwavering dedication.

Malachi had a deep love for animals. His prowess in winning the dog agility competition showcased his resilience and determination, overcoming physical challenges. Additionally, inheriting his late father's love for fishing added another layer to his diverse interests. Malachi's lively and multifaceted existence had a lasting impact on those who were part of his life.

Can Someone ever get Coached in Heaven?

When he was just 6, tragedy struck his family. Malachi lost his dad, Dru Miller, to an illness. Though it seemed quite difficult for Malachi to comprehend the tragedy, he eventually found his way back to normalcy. From then, he frequently shared his dreams of playing with his dad in heaven. Given that baseball was both Malachi's favourite sport and his father’s expertise, it became a poignant aspect of their connection. Dru had coached all his children, except Malachi. This unfulfilled desire, ‘to get coached by his dad,’ became one of the driving forces behind Malachi's early wish to be in heaven. He ardently expressed that leaving this world early would be worthwhile if it meant having dedicated time in heaven playing baseball with his dad. Such was his passion for the sport that, a mere 11 days after his surgery, Malachi was back on the field.

The Kick-start to a Courageous Journey 

It was in 2011 that Malachi was diagnosed with a rare kind of spinal cord tumour, usually found in adult brains. Though operated upon, doctors were only able to remove 10% of it. Nonetheless, Malachi was determined to embrace the illness with courage and go ahead with whatever life put forward. Despite the surgeons' prediction that he wouldn't walk again, Malachi, in the midst of his baseball season, held a strong determination to persevere. In this challenging moment, he was resolute about the solution — prayer. He asked his grandma to pray for him. And miraculously, he got better and made a triumphant return to the field again!

Well, shoot! I should have just died!

Soon after surgery, after removing the breathing tube, doctors found that Malachi was struggling to breathe on his own. Therefore, they had to re-intubate him. When discussing this incident with his mom, Malachi asked, ‘Do you mean if they didn’t put that tube back in, I would have been asleep, and then woken up in heaven?’ His mom replied, ‘Yes.’ Hearing this, Malachi replied, ‘Well, shoot! I should have just died!’  

Malachi was hospitalised in Omaha’s PICU for about 49 days. He was quite joyful all through the treatment process and during his hospital days. Putting a smile on everyone’s face was his main business and soon became everyone’s favourite. 

It’s All about Faith

Malachi was baptised in St Philomena’s Chapel of Gorham, and received his First Holy Communion and Confirmation here. He was strong in his faith and lived it through, unafraid to share his traditional Catholic faith with others. Faith and his love for Christ were the driving forces for all his actions.   

Once during his treatment, he happened to meet Harrison Butker, his favourite American football player, at the hospital. Malachi told Harrison that one of the main reasons he liked the player was because Harrison was a practising Catholic. Even in sport, faith mattered to Malachi. 

That November, quite suddenly one morning, Malachi found himself paralysed from the neck down. Barely able to move his body and with trouble breathing, he was airlifted to the hospital. There was no chance for him to survive that night. But to everyone’s surprise, he did. 

By then, Malachi had become familiar to everyone in the hospital. Doctors, nurses, rehab teams, all became friends with this cheerful boy. Even in the confines of his hospital bed, he was cheerful and often heard praying aloud. All for the love of Almighty God, he accepted his cross willingly. 

Bringing Smiles

Malachi was determined to make the most of his time. Being intubated, he was in a lot of pain and unable to speak. Still, he would at times request the tube removed so that he could crack jokes or converse with his dear ones. He always had quite a good number of visitors at the hospital, including priests, nuns, parishioners, even people he never met. Malachi’s visitors’ list at the hospital was pages long. 

‘No One Scratches my Nose as Good as a Bishop’

Once, when Malachi was paralysed and in the hospital, the bishop came to visit. Malachi’s first question to him was what he should give up that Lent. The bishop was surprised to hear this from a boy already in much pain and suffering, ready to take up even more for the love of Christ. 

Being paralysed, Malachi needed assistance for everything, even to scratch his nose. That day, his mother was not present and so he indicated to the bishop that he needed his nose scratched. The bishop took a washcloth and scratched Malachi’s nose. Immediately came Malachi’s quick-witted response, ‘No one scratches my nose as good as a bishop.’ To which the bishop joked, ‘I am at least good at something!’ Even amidst his deep sufferings, Malachi was resigned, patient, joyful and always did something to put a smile on another's face. 

One day, a gift package arrived at Malachi’s hospital room. It was a gift Malachi had arranged for his mother – a monogrammed cup along with a cappuccino mix – because she loved cappuccino. Being bedridden did not stop him from being considerate of others. 

I’m Not Ready to Say Goodbye, but …

Having a conversation with his mother one day, he said, ‘Sometimes you have to tell the people you love, goodbye.’ His mother asked if he was ready to say goodbye. He said, ‘No, but I am ready to go to heaven.’  

On May 1, 2023, on the feast day of St Joseph, Malachi peacefully passed away to his heavenly reward, at the age of 12, after a year-long battle with his rare illness. He has now become the first Miller kid to be coached by his dad in heaven. 

Malachi, despite his young age, demonstrated remarkable wisdom and courage that surpassed typical expectations of a child of his age. His consistency in prayer, willingness to accept things as they came, and compassion for others is an inspiration for everyone. Malachi shows us to joyfully accept whatever comes our way, as well as, trust that God is in control. 

Today, it is not uncommon for us to grapple with a multitude of emotions, when we face hardships in life. Malachi’s legacy invites us to embrace life’s challenges with great acceptance. Instead of blaming God, let us strive to trust God in every situation, that from him we receive the power to embrace the realities of life. Life is too short, fleeting. Let us make the most of our talents and capabilities for His greater glory, cherishing each and every moment we experience.

Vincy Stephenson is a content writer and translator by profession. She lives in Trivandrum, India with her husband, Sybin and their three children.