In 1979, Richard Miller’s world was torn apart. The love of his life, his wife Anne, had passed away, leaving him to face a future without her by his side. Their shared dreams of a family seemed to fade with her death, and though the world urged him to move on, to remarry, Richard couldn’t let go of Anne’s last words: “Don’t let love die with me. Give it somewhere to go.”
It was these words that led Richard down a path he never expected to walk. And it was those words that ultimately guided him to the lives of nine little girls, all abandoned, alone, and rejected by the world.
The Storm That Changed Everything
One fateful evening, as a storm raged outside, Richard found himself standing in the hallways of St. Mary’s Orphanage. It was here that nine sisters, abandoned by their biological parents, lived. Though separated from the world they had known, their bonds with each other remained unbroken. But no one had ever shown interest in adopting all of them together.
They were left alone in the world, crying in the orphanage, longing for a family. Richard’s heart ached at the sight of these innocent children, but he knew what he had to do. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and spoke the words that would change everything:
“I’ll take them. Each and every one.”
The World Didn’t Understand
It’s easy to see Richard’s actions as those of a man who had a big heart and an immense capacity for love, but the world around him didn’t see it that way. Social workers doubted him. Relatives mocked him. Neighbors whispered, “What is a white man doing raising nine Black girls?”
To many, it seemed foolish. Why would someone sacrifice so much to raise children no one else wanted? But for Richard, the answer was simple. He had promised Anne that love would not die with her, and here, before him, were children who needed love, children he could offer it to.
Richard sold his belongings, worked double shifts, and did everything he could to provide for the girls. He built nine cribs by hand and worked tirelessly to create a home for the family he had just formed.
