When Dennis and Jackie Miller of Mankato considered giving a major gift to Immanuel St. Joseph’s Foundation, they included their sons, Chris and Eric, in the decision.

“We are extraordinarily blessed to be able to make this gift,” says Dennis Miller, retired CEO of Midwest Wireless. For the Millers, that blessing is twofold. Grateful for the ability to support the hospital financially, they agree that the greater blessing was that they could involve both of their sons.

They are especially glad to involve Chris, because there was a time earlier in their lives when they almost lost him to a medical emergency.

Jackie was shopping in the mall with family. Well behaved, her two boys kept busy in a play area of the store while the ladies tried on clothes.

“They were just little,” Jackie says. “Eric found me and said that Chris was sick.” She got him into the bathroom, where he collapsed. She screamed for someone to call 911, and minutes later the ambulance arrived. Jackie went with Chris. She called Dennis, who was out of town.
Eric rode to the hospital with his grandmother.
It was very scary,” Jackie shares. “I remember hearing, ‘we’re losing him, we’re losing him...’ ”

But they didn’t lose him. Emergency Department physicians expertly recognized and diagnosed herpes encephalitis, which causes inflammation and swelling of the brain. Chris received the medication he needed, right away.

“We are convinced that the procedures and expertise of everyone involved at the hospital saved our son,” Jackie says. “If anything would have happened differently, we could have had a very bad outcome.”

Chris remained in intensive care for five days, and received medicine through IVs every eight hours. Treatment continued during his first five days home.

The father of one of Chris’s second grade classmates worked as an anesthesiologist. Knowing Chris and having a bond with him through his own son, he took time out of his busy schedule to personally give Chris his medicine. Dennis says that receiving treatment from someone he already knew and trusted made the ordeal easier for Chris.

Today, Chris is a healthy college student finishing his sophomore year at the University of St. Thomas. Eric is a senior in high school. A few years ago, the brothers played hockey together, competing at the state level for Mankato East.

Chris’s experience years ago motivated Dennis to get involved with the hospital, with his family’s support. He offered time and talent by serving on Immanuel St. Joseph’s Foundation board and on the board of the Hospital. He currently serves on the community advisory board for the Foundation’s Heart and Cancer Centers Campaign. Dennis and Jackie included their sons in the decision to support Immanuel St. Joseph’s heart and cancer centers with a $200,000 gift from their family. They wanted them to understand the importance of charitable giving and experience how to make a difference with a family legacy.

“Immanuel St. Joseph’s growth to a regional medical center improves the quality of life for everyone here,” Dennis says. “We’ve been rooted to this community, and giving back is a big part of that.”

Jackie agrees. “We want our boys to understand how important it is to give.