The Burden of Being Champ

A foggy boy called Champ has a disastrous first three years of school. He does not even recognize that he is close to failing; he only senses some near, indefinable danger. A perceptive teacher diagnoses his problem, providing a key that unlocks much of his future. He eventually goes to medical school and ultimately becomes a pediatrician. Along the way, the boy matures and develops a passion for sports; in his grandiose imagination, he becomes a legendary athlete, though very few share that opinion. In this book, the now-seasoned pediatrician reflects on six decades of life in which appearances and reality are often widely divergent. In true, multi-layered stories, he recounts shaping influences, surprising outcomes, and life-altering experiences. With humor and honesty, he shares tales from his boyhood and young adulthood, and he discusses the rigors of medical school, residency, and a busy pediatric practice. He openly describes what it feels like to care for children who are dying or near death, allowing the reader to experience the pediatrician’s joyful triumphs, his deep sorrows, his disappointing failures, and his terrifying fears. Within these pages, the boy called Champ sheds his nickname and grows to realize that a true Champion has been with him all his life.

A foggy boy called Champ has a disastrous first three years of school. He does not even recognize that he is close to failing; he only senses some near, indefinable danger. A perceptive teacher diagnoses his problem, providing a key that unlocks much of his future. He eventually goes to medical school and ultimately becomes a pediatrician. Along the way, the boy matures and develops a passion for sports; in his grandiose imagination, he becomes a legendary athlete, though very few share that opinion. In this book, the now-seasoned pediatrician reflects on six decades of life in which appearances and reality are often widely divergent. In true, multi-layered stories, he recounts shaping influences, surprising outcomes, and life-altering experiences. With humor and honesty, he shares tales from his boyhood and young adulthood, and he discusses the rigors of medical school, residency, and a busy pediatric practice. He openly describes what it feels like to care for children who are dying or near death, allowing the reader to experience the pediatrician’s joyful triumphs, his deep sorrows, his disappointing failures, and his terrifying fears. Within these pages, the boy called Champ sheds his nickname and grows to realize that a true Champion has been with him all his life.

Jerry A. Miller, Jr., MD is a pediatrician in Augusta, Georgia and has practiced medicine for more than thirty years. He and his wife have four children and eleven grandchildren.