This article appears in the March 2020 edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Head to USLacrosse.org to subscribe.
Kerrigan Miller has a small tattoo on her left forearm, just below the crook of her elbow. “Love you like crazy,” it says in thinly scrawled cursive. It’s subtle, yet its meaning is anything but.
A senior captain for the USC women’s lacrosse team and the reigning Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year, Miller adopted the saying from her Pop Pop. He’d always say that to Kerrigan and her four siblings, and it became something of a family motto. The Millers say it when they see each other, when they leave each other and when they text each other.
It means something special to each of them, but it means a little something more to Kerrigan when explaining her relationship with her 15-year-old brother, Sullivan.
Sullivan “Sully” Miller was born Sept. 15, 2004, with Down syndrome. He had an enlarged heart, hearing loss and sties in his eyes, so his parents, Mark and Christine, weren’t sure if he’d ever hear or see.
Sully can hear and see just fine now. He wore a hearing aid and, for a few years, glasses. The early hearing loss affected his speech.
His heart, Mark Miller said, is healthy.
Sully doesn’t talk much. He often plays on a phone or tablet with his head down. It takes a little while for him to open up to those he hasn’t met before. But when he comes out of his shell, he’s full of laughs and smiles. Over time, he makes a profound impact on those who know him best.
Especially Kerrigan.
“He has hit a spot in my heart that makes me want to do that for the rest of my life, help out the special needs community,” she said. “When you’re around him for so long, you understand his personality and his humor. He’s funny, and although a lot of other people would look at him and think otherwise, he is smart as hell. He’s very witty and very savvy.”
Although there are stressful moments — Mark joked that Sully suffers from Down syndrome and puberty, and he’s not sure which is worse — the youngest Miller is a constant source of joy and practical jokes.
“He’s one of the funniest kids I know,” Mark Miller said. “You’ll be looking for your cell phone, and he put it in the oven to play a joke on you.”
And when he’s around, he’s the star of the show.
“You can’t really not be happy when you’re around him because he’s engaging,” USC coach Lindsey Munday said. “Everyone loves when he’s around.”