Heaven Sent: A Mother Shares her Story of Tragedy and Triumph
By: Dawn Pellas
Updated: December 21, 2012
Wendy Miller's daughter Heather passed away at age 11 of a rare form of cancer. Wendy shares her story of support and faith in a book that she hopes will help inspire others.
Note: This portion of the interview is interrupted by a breaking news conference with police. Please see PART TWO for the continued interview.
The book is called "Heaven Sent: The Heather Miller Story". Wendy says it was written in honor of her daughter. In it, author Scott Brown uses Wendy's own words to add perspective to the high's and low's she and her family experienced through Heather's cancer fight.
The two write, "This is a story of heartbreak and hope, of desperation and inspiration. It is a story about a little girl armed with the mantra fully rely on God and what she taught about the meaning of true courage and life."
On today's show, Wendy said she feels the book sends an appropriate message, in light of the recent school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut and the shooting today in Blair County that left four people dead - including the shooter - and three State Troopers hurt.
She says support helped get her through the tough times, along with Heather's positive attitude. For the Miller's, support came from many people, including members of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Troy Polamalu is quoted as saying to, "I think about Heather all the time. She just had something about her. What she reinforced to me was there's something bigger than your life." In an interview with Steeler TV, Polamalu also said of Heather, "God brings people or situations into our lives in order for us to learn from, in order for us to be humbled from. With Heather, the message is very clear."
"Heaven Sent: The Heather Miller Story" is available at local stores, including Kopp Drug. You can also buy a copy online.
You can read more about Heather and her inspirational journey on Facebook.
