Marking a milestone: Kentucky senior defying the odds, graduating high school

WELL, ONLY ON WLWT, A KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR IS ABOUT TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL DESPITE AN UPHILL BATTLE WITH A DISEASE HIS WHOLE LIFE. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S NICOLE APONTE SAT DOWN WITH ISAAC MILLER AND HIS MOM AS THEY PREPARE TO MARK THIS MAJOR MILESTONE. ISAAC MILLER WALKS INTO THIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COURTYARD WITH HIS MOM, NATASHA, WHO’S BEEN THERE FOR HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD GET HERE. HE’S ABOUT TO MARK A MAJOR MILESTONE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. TO HIM, HE DOESN’T SEE WHAT A BIG DEAL IT IS. THIS WALK, THE RUN IS MUCH SHORTER THAN THE PATH IT TOOK FOR ISAAC TO GET HERE. HE HAS SUCH A STRONG MIND GAME THAT HE JUST KIND OF COACHES HIMSELF. LIKE, I’LL GET THROUGH THIS. DURING HER PREGNANCY, NATASHA CAME FROM PAINTSVILLE, KENTUCKY TO CINCINNATI, HOPING THE DOCTORS AT CHILDREN’S WOULD SAVE HER BABY’S LIFE. SHE LEARNED THAT ISAAC WAS GOING TO HAVE ONE ARM SHORTER THAN THE OTHER, AND HIS TONGUE WAS BLOCKING HIS AIRWAY. WE’VE HAD SO MANY CLOSE CALLS WHERE I DID ALMOST LOSE HIM, BUT THANKFULLY. THEY ALWAYS KNOW WHAT TO DO HERE, AND THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO GET HIM HEALTHY AND STAY ON TOP OF STUFF. DOCTORS PUT IN A BREATHING TUBE AS SOON AS HE WAS BORN AND SOME BABIES. IT’S REALLY THEIR ONLY CHANCE. IN HIS 18 YEARS, HE’S HAD 47 SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES, SO NATASHA THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT TO COME BACK TO CHILDREN’S TO TAKE THESE GRADUATION PHOTOS TO DOCUMENT HOW FAR ISAAC HAS COME. BUT HE’S VERY CARING AND I TRULY DON’T THINK HE REALIZES HOW AMAZING HE HE IS. ISAAC HAS A RARE GENETIC DISEASE THAT AFFECTS THE HANDS, ARMS AND FACE. HE’S ALSO NONVERBAL AND COMMUNICATES THROUGH HIS PHONE. BUT TO COME BACK AND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THESE GRADUATION PICTURES, WHAT’S THAT LIKE? I CAN’T REALLY SAY WHAT IT’S LIKE CAUSE IT’S NORMAL TO ME. JUST EVERYDAY THINGS, NATASHA SAYS IT’S HARD FOR HER SON TO SEE JUST HOW STRONG HE IS. I THINK I’VE OFTEN SAID WITH HIM TOO, IT’S LIKE HE DON’T KNOW TO BE ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN JUST GETTING THROUGH EVERY DAY. BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE, IT’S EASY TO RECOGNIZE HIS RESILIENCE. SOMEONE WHO STARTED WITH WITH SOME REALLY TOUGH CHANCES AND HAS DONE, I THINK SO WELL AND BETTER THAN ANY OF US COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE. HE WAS FIRST INTERACTING WITH OUR FETAL CARE TEAM IN AN EFFORT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE. NATASHA HANDS OVER THIS THANK YOU CARD TO THESE DOCTORS BECAUSE THE FETAL CARE CENTER IS PART OF WHY WE’RE ABLE TO CELEBRATE HIM GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL. A SMALL GESTURE, WE JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITHOUT YOU. ALL, NATASHA HOPES, WILL SERVE AS A REMINDER THAT NO JOURNEY IS EVER WALKED ALONE. GRADUATION IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. ISAAC IS VERY EXCITED FOR THAT DAY. ON MAY 23RD, AND WHEN ASKED WHAT HIS FAVORITE SUBJECT WAS, HE TOLD US ANYTHIN

Isaac Miller is set to graduate from high school next week. It would not be possible without the lifesaving care he has received at Cincinnati Children's Hospital since he was born.Miller can handle anything that comes his way. In his 18 years, he has had 47 surgeries and procedures. His mother, Natasha, says it has been a tough road."I never thought we would get here. I would block myself from thinking of these moments because you, you never know. We've had so many close calls where I did almost lose him, but thankfully, they always know what to do here," she said.Natasha thought it would be a full-circle moment to come back to Children's and take his graduation pictures to document how far Miller has come."Someone who started with, with some really tough chances and has done, I think, so well and better than any of us could have ever imagined," Catherine Hart, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, said. Hart has been one of Isaac's doctors for the past few years. But Isaac's journey at Children's started before he was born. Six months into her pregnancy, Natasha found out Miller had one arm shorter than the other, and his tongue was blocking his airway.Doctors put a breathing tube in as soon as he was born."That surgery in some babies, it's really their only chance," Fetal Care Center Associate Surgical Director Dr. Beth Rymeski said.Miller is nonverbal, has a hearing aid and has a rare genetic disease that affects his hands, arms and face.He was able to talk to sister station WLWT through his phone about what it was like to be back at Children's as high school graduation nears."I can't really say what it's like," Isaac wrote into his phone. "Cause it's normal to me. Just everyday things." Natasha said it's hard for him to see just how strong he is. "I think I've often said with him, too, is like, he don't know to be anything different than just getting through every day," she said.But nothing has slowed him down."He's so funny. He loves metal music. Like, he's so into music. He's just a calm soul," Natasha said of her son. "He's a little nut job behind the scenes, but he's very caring, and I truly don't think he realizes how amazing he is."In an effort to express gratitude, Natasha handed over a thank-you card to the doctors. "The fetal care center is part of why we're able to celebrate him graduating high school," she said.It's a small gesture she hopes will serve as a reminder that no journey is ever walked alone. "We just don't know what we would have been able to do without you all."Miller graduates on May 23 from Paintsville High School. When asked what his favorite subject was, he said anything but math.

Isaac Miller is set to graduate from high school next week. It would not be possible without the lifesaving care he has received at Cincinnati Children's Hospital since he was born.

Miller can handle anything that comes his way. In his 18 years, he has had 47 surgeries and procedures. His mother, Natasha, says it has been a tough road.

"I never thought we would get here. I would block myself from thinking of these moments because you, you never know. We've had so many close calls where I did almost lose him, but thankfully, they always know what to do here," she said.

Natasha thought it would be a full-circle moment to come back to Children's and take his graduation pictures to document how far Miller has come.

"Someone who started with, with some really tough chances and has done, I think, so well and better than any of us could have ever imagined," Catherine Hart, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, said.

Hart has been one of Isaac's doctors for the past few years.

But Isaac's journey at Children's started before he was born.

Six months into her pregnancy, Natasha found out Miller had one arm shorter than the other, and his tongue was blocking his airway.

Doctors put a breathing tube in as soon as he was born.

"That surgery in some babies, it's really their only chance," Fetal Care Center Associate Surgical Director Dr. Beth Rymeski said.

Miller is nonverbal, has a hearing aid and has a rare genetic disease that affects his hands, arms and face.

He was able to talk to sister station WLWT through his phone about what it was like to be back at Children's as high school graduation nears.

"I can't really say what it's like," Isaac wrote into his phone. "Cause it's normal to me. Just everyday things."

Natasha said it's hard for him to see just how strong he is.

"I think I've often said with him, too, is like, he don't know to be anything different than just getting through every day," she said.

But nothing has slowed him down.

"He's so funny. He loves metal music. Like, he's so into music. He's just a calm soul," Natasha said of her son. "He's a little nut job behind the scenes, but he's very caring, and I truly don't think he realizes how amazing he is."

In an effort to express gratitude, Natasha handed over a thank-you card to the doctors.

"The fetal care center is part of why we're able to celebrate him graduating high school," she said.

It's a small gesture she hopes will serve as a reminder that no journey is ever walked alone.

"We just don't know what we would have been able to do without you all."

Miller graduates on May 23 from Paintsville High School. When asked what his favorite subject was, he said anything but math.

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