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All Text & Images Used with Permission & are the property (p) of Kevin & Christine Miller & Family
My son was killed in a car accident last year because a senile, 78 year old woman ran a red light and hit us causing us to flip into a ditch. Kyle's seatbelt came unlatched during the roll and he was ejected. His seatbelt was later examined by several experts who determined it was faulty and told me that seatbelts regularly fail, especially in roll over accidents. I had no idea that seatbelts could fail and think that this is something everyone should be made aware of. The government also needs to be more strict about making sure the people they issue licenses to are fit to drive...
In Loving Memory of
Kyle David Miller
3/13/02 - 5/29/05
It has recently come to my attention that there is another seat besides the Britax Regent (that I mention in the video) that will also hold a child in a 5-point harness up to 80 pounds. It is called the Radian80 made by Sunshine Kids and can be found here:
http://skjp.com/products/
Also, to find a location to get your carseat installation inspected, go to:
http://www.seatcheck.org/
This Video and message has been re-produced on rememberingfergy from its original place on You Tube.com
My Heartfelt Thanks to Christine Miller and her family for giving us permission to share Her story and the important message contained within.
UK Visitors interested in learning more about the correct child seat for their child can visit Britax direct at:
www.britax.co.uk
Please visit the Kyle David Miller Foundation website at:-
May 29th was a Sunday that started out to be what seemed like a wonderful day. My dad had come up for the weekend to see my play which had wrapped the following evening and I had just gotten rave reviews in, I had just gotten the lead role in a film that was starting the following month, we had just signed a lease on a house we were going to rent that had a huge yard for the kids to play in and we had just sold our old car that we were afraid would be hard to sell. Everything was going our way! I remember that morning doing dishes and commenting on how great everything was, how the kids were getting older and things were just getting so much easier and more fun and how much we were looking forward to the summer starting, the kids were so excited about going to the pool and doing all the summer things they had been looking forward to all year. It had finally warmed up that weekend and we decided since it was a holiday weekend (Memorial Day) and Kevin had Monday off, we would follow my dad back to San Antonio and take the kids to the lake, what a great kick off to summer! We packed up our bathing suits, life jackets and clothes, hopped into the van and took off. We decided to stop at our new house to show it to my dad and then stopped again at a gas station right up the street before starting the long drive. I went inside and got the kids drinks and snacks and brought them back out to the van. I opened Kyle's door and stood there for a while getting the granola bars open and handing the kids their drinks. At that point both the kids had their seatbelts on, I can still picture them so clearly in my mind. I had no idea that would be the last time I would see my son alive. Kevin and I got into the van and we headed off, I got the kids movie started (Sponge Bob) and they were happily eating their snacks and watching a movie. We were driving on Hw. 47 when we came to a flashing yellow light at the intersection of Villa Maria (cross traffic had a HUGE stop sign and a flashing red light) From the corner of my eye I saw a car approaching the intersection at a high speed, too fast to stop at the red light, but by the time I started to say "watch out" it was too late, we were through the intersection and the car had run the red light and broadsided us going aprox. 45 miles an hour. It all happened in a split second but I replay it in my mind in slow motion a hundred times a day. Our van was knocked off the road and into a ditch and started rolling several times. When we finally stopped with the van laying driver's down the first thing both Kevin and I did was whip around to look in the backseat and check on the kids, as I was turning around I heard Kevin saying "Are you guys OK"? As I turned around I saw Katie behind Kevin and felt a sigh of relief, if she was ok I knew Kyle was too, I finally turned all the way around to look behind me at Kyle and all that was there was an empty seat. There are no words to describe the horror and million things that flew threw my mind at that instant. I remember screaming "He's gone, Kyle's gone" and the next thing I knew Kevin had climbed into the back seat and jumped out through Kyle's broken window. I quickly followed out of my broken window and immediately saw my baby boy laying about 30 feet away on the hill. Thankfully my dad was there to get Katie and keep her away from what was to come. I raced to Kyle and when I got to him I almost collapsed, he was laying on his back with blood pouring out of his ears and mouth. I started screaming and crying "NO!" - this just could not be happening, 2 seconds ago he was fine, eating a granola bar and watching SpongeBob...and now he's dead??!! NO!!!!!!!!!! This cannot happen! It was like waking up into the most horrible nightmare. I held his hand and stroked his face and then and lady ran up and said she knew CPR and started working on him. I know CPR, I couldn't believe I didn't think to try it, I guess I was in too much shock to even think. I also knew from the moment I saw him that he had already gone, I felt it in my heart. After what seemed like an eternity the ambulance finally came and they loaded him into the back, I got in the front and Kevin and Katie rode with my dad and followed us. We got to the hospital and they immediately started working on Kyle but took me and Kevin to seperate rooms to get checked out and tried to force us to lay down with neck braces. Both Kevin and I ripped the neck braces off and ran to be with Kyle. They let us stay in the room while they tried to revive him. They worked on him for 30 minutes but could not get a pulse at all. The whole time I just prayed for a miracle, "Please God not my baby boy, PLEASE take me but save him, he is too innocent and has so much future ahead of him" The most dire prayer I have ever prayed went unanswered and I suppose I will never know why, at least not in this lifetime. The doctor looked at me and said "There is nothing more we can do". It was like someone had thrown me into this alternate reality, hell had to come to me on earth. Kevin and I took turns holding him in our arms and then we laid him down on the bed and laid next to him, kissing him and hugging him for hours. Finally the hospital told us we had to leave, up until then it hadn't even occured to me that we would leave him there. How could I just get up and walk away and leave my baby there? I had never even been apart from him for more than a couple hours in his entire life and I'm supposed to walk away and leave him knowing I won't ever see him again. That was one of the hardest moments of my life, I felt like I was accepting it, giving up and abandoning my son. I had to remind myself that I was only leaving his body and that his soul was not in his body anymore, Kyle and everything that made him Kyle was still with us, that was the only hope I could cling to to give me the strength to tell my baby goodbye and walk away.
We held Kyle's funeral at Oak Hills Church on June 2nd, although we were still in shock and incredible pain, I can say that it was a beautiful service in rememberance of him and his life, something I hope Kyle was looking down on and enjoyed. We dressed him in his favorite PJ's and surrounded him with his favorite toys (all animals of course) and the pastor read letters Kevin and I had written to him. Kevin and I said our last goodbyes to our sweet little boy's body, gave him our last hugs and kisses, told him that we loved him and would miss him but we wanted him to be happy so "to go play with all the animals and children in heaven" and closed the casket knowing it was the last time we would see our sweet son's face. Another one of the hardest moments in my life. Immediately following the funeral we had a short graveside service at the cemetary and then had a balloon release, we released 100 white balloons and 3 blue balloon (1 for each year of Kyle's life) Kevin, Katie and I released the blue ones. It was so amazing because all of the balloons were released together by different people but the white ones all stayed together and drifted off to the right but the blue ones all drifted together to the left. Lastly we let Katie release a big turtle balloon that I know Kyle would love and it followed and caught up with the blue ballloons and they all drifted up to Kyle together. It was such a profound moment and I really felt like it was Kyle's way of saying that he loved us and that we are always together.
Kyle was an angel on earth, the most perfect, sweetest, kindest little boy I have ever known and now he is an angel in heaven. Our lives will never be the same without him, but we are trying to find a way to get through the horrible pain of missing him and live our lives in his honor. We are proud to say he is and will always be our son, we were blessed with 3 wonderful years with him and greatly look forward to the day when we can finally be together forever.
Kyle's memory is also remembered on the Wall of Angels here at rememberingfergy.
