Rheese Miller

I fell in love with it immediately because Goofy is playing the saxophone. I also found it on the 8th month anniversary of Rheese's return to Heavenly Father. I knew it was Rheese telling me to smile and think happy thoughts. I wanted it but it was a $30 ornament. I took a picture and sent it to a few people and my sister in Idaho and my parents wanted to help me get it, so it came home with me : ). When I was checking out I told the cashier about the significance of Goofy playing the sax and Rheese and about how he passed away and that it was the 8th month anniversary. We talked for a bit and she told me that she'd keep me in her prayers. She seemed genuinely touched and really seemed to care. She then told me that I needed a special magic cord for the ornament to work but they were out so she took my name and number so they could call when it came in. I got the call yesterday that it was in and went in today to pick it up. I was so surprised when I gave them my name and they gave me a gift bag with the magic cord and card in return. She told me it was from the cashier from the other day. Here is what the card said:

Dear Niki,

When I rang up your ornament when you were last here in Hallmark, and you shared with me about your son, Rheese, my heart went out to you. I've lost many family members- but your heartache is larger than I can imagine. Things happen in life that we cannot understand, yet we are left here to "keep going". I admire you so very much- for "keeping going" for your other children. We go through life never expecting something like what you are going through. I do not belive in closure, your Rheese will always be fresh in your mind- close in your heart- always your beautiful son. I know for sure he reaches out to you from above. Know that you will continue to be in my prayers.

This small gift of the "magic cord" from me to you is to let you know I care- and I'm sure everyone who knows you does also.

Hugs to you, Niki. Many wishes for blessings to come to you and your family.

-Carol at Hallmark

Wow! I could not believe that this person that I met only for a moment could care enough to do this for me. I also do not believe that it was a coincidence that I met her on that day. I know I was guided there at the right moment. I needed to hear the words that she wrote to me. Even though I already knew what she said was true, it helped so much to hear the words from someone else. I'm thankful for the Lord's tender mercies and for my guardian angel.

Rheese's heart surgeon, Dr. Michael Teodori, had this painting hanging in his office. When I saw it I felt a great sense of peace to know that the surgeon working on my son relied on Christ and knew that He was guiding him in his work. I had felt this way on the day of Rheese's 2nd surgery too. The plan for that surgery was to go in and make a wall between the 2 ventricles and also to switch them around because they were transposed. We waited in pre-op for over an hour past surgery time when Dr. Teodori finally came in to talk to us. He told us that the plan had changed because of new information from the heart catheterization they had done. They were now doing the Fontan. He told us that he had not felt good about the other plan but it was what made sense to do. He said that he finally felt good about the path they were taking Rheese on and it was the right thing to do. I knew that he was being led by the Spirit. I knew that our little boy was being watched over and protected by our Heavenly Father and that he would be ok.

Rheese was born on February 9, 2000 with multiple heart defects. He underwent 6 heart surgeries along with various other surgeries in his short time on earth. Rheese was a happy little boy. There was something about him that made you smile. He was also a very smart little boy. He asked questions that most of us never would have thought of asking and I didn't know the answer many times. In school, his favorite subject was Social Studies, specifically American History. He would come home and tell us the things he learned. I remember one time we were sitting at the dinner table, Rheese must have been in 2nd grade, and he started talking to us about the White House. He told us all about the fire and the year it happened. He told us about some of the presidents that lived there. He talked for quite a while. I remember sitting there in awe thinking that I couldn't believe that a 7 yr. old was telling us all of this. He also loved the Statue of Liberty. Rheese could tell you what all the symbolism was on her, like the 7 spikes on her crown represented the 7 continents. He liked to talk about her and hoped to one day see her in person. The closest he got was the one in Las Vegas at New York, New York. When George and I went back east in 2009, we got to see the Statue of Liberty. We got a Christmas ornament with her on it and Rheese made sure he got to put it on the tree each year.

Rheese also had a great love for all things Disney. I've always been a huge Disney fan but not like Rheese. He thought about it all the time. He wanted to be an Imagineer when he grew up so that he could design new rides. He couldn't wait to meet Walt Disney and talk to him about Disneyland and I'm sure that he has done just that. I can just imagine him getting up to heaven and saying, "Where's Walt? We need to talk." His 2nd trip to Disneyland was when he was 3 yrs. old. It was just one day and it rained nonstop until evening. It was also crowded. Don't believe people who say that Dis is empty when it rains. We spent most of the day trying to get from ride to ride as quickly as possible or sitting where it was covered. I don't remember how long after that trip this next conversation started happening but it was a while. I'm thinking like 6 mo. to a year. So he comes to me one day and wanted to talk about Dis. He brings up a ride, I don't remember which one but I'm pretty sure it was one in Fantasyland. He then says, "Don't you go this way, this way and this way to get to ____ from____?" I thought about it and I couldn't believe that he had the right directions to the ride. He did it with a few other ones too. He had been there one day, in the rain, while it was crowded a long time before and this 3 or 4 yr. old could tell me exactly where things were? I was shocked, in awe, impressed, surprised and many other things. It was after this that he wanted to talk about Dis all the time. I remember laying on my bed with my eyes closed and opening my eyes only to find Rheese sitting there staring at me. He would say, "You wanna talk about it?" That was code for: Let me talk at you about Dis. He would give us walk thrus on the rides. He would ask why Walt put certain rides in certain places or why he made things the color they were or other questions I couldn't answer. He didn't really want the answer, I don't think, he just liked to talk. Rheese's favorite character was Goofy. When we went to DisneyWorld he got this big, floppy Goofy hat that was way too big for him. It made me laugh when he would wear it. He was so proud to wear that hat. It was so cute!