My name is Paul Miller and I have lived in Scranton, PA, my entire life. Since I was young, I loved taking part in sports, including cross-country, wrestling, baseball, and golf.
On September 28, 1985, I married Eileen, the love of my life. We had two children together, Paul Jr. and Nicole. While I enjoyed working in the printing and mailing industries, as well as other odd jobs like playing Santa Claus before Christmas, nothing was more important than family. Every day with Nicole and Paul was a blessing and I loved being there to coach Paul in baseball from T-ball until he was 17.
Our lives changed forever on July 5, 2010, when Paul Jr., at only 21 years old, was killed by a distracted tractor trailer driver. He still had so much life to live. After months of emotional and physical stress, I started to develop strange symptoms like loss of balance and strength in my legs. The symptoms worsened as we drove hours back and forth to see doctors in Philadelphia.
After over a year and a half of uncertainty, I was diagnosed with ALS on August 12, 2012, at the age of 55. This month marks 10 years since that diagnosis.
Once I was diagnosed with ALS, I had to quit my job and all my side jobs. With my symptoms progressing, I had to give up playing the sports I so loved too, even though I continued to golf for five years after my diagnosis. As my wife and friends know, I can be stubborn, so I kept trying to walk, which led to multiple falls. I went from a cane to a walker to a power wheelchair.
Today people have a hard time understanding me and most people do not understand the realities of ALS. Everything from getting dressed to eating to tying my shoes or answering the phone takes longer for me. Every physical act is a struggle.
As much as ALS has changed my body, it hasn’t changed my drive and it hasn’t changed my life for my wife, Nicole, and our growing family. I’ve always been a very determined person and Eileen helps me to continue to stay true to myself.
Every day, we show how strong we are together. We speak at colleges about understanding ALS and about the dangers of using your cell phone while driving with the hope that we can save lives. We visit political leaders in Harrisburg, PA, and Washington, DC, to change policies and increase funding for care and research. Over the past decade, we have talked with countless students and lawmakers and I know that our story, as painful as it can be, has made a difference.
Today I can look at our daughter Nicole and her beautiful 5-year-old, our granddaughter Kaia Rose, and look forward to a bright future for our family and our world. A future that is More Than ALS.