ABOUT THE FOUNDER
I’M MILLER KERR
I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) when I was 10 years old.
In November 2013, I was playing a friendly game of basketball at recess with friends. I was accidentally kneed in my right thigh. Within the blink of an eye, I was on the ground in excruciating pain.
Little did I know I would never get to shake this pain away. It just got worse, and it began to feel like a stabbing sensation. Over time, walking became harder.
I met with numerous doctors in search of an explanation as to what was wrong with my leg; some did not know what was causing it and others did not believe me. Each time, I left with no explanation and a little less hope.
After months of doctors’ visits and lots of physical therapy…
I got a diagnosis from an intern at UT Southwestern:
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
CRPS is a rare disease, and not many doctors know about it or treat it. Unfortunately, there is no cure for CRPS.
All I could do was learn to manage and cope with the horrific pain, hoping to regain some quality of life back.
The disease spread to the rest of my right leg. I couldn’t bear physical touch to my leg, no weight could be transferred onto it, and I couldn’t even bend my leg which prohibited me from participating in any daily activities. The pain felt like a thousand nails being stabbed into my leg while it was burning on fire.
Finally, my mom found Cleveland Clinic, one of three programs in the country that helped kids suffering from CRPS. Despite being too young for the program, my mom knew that if I had any chance of walking or living a normal life again, she had to get me in and she did.
In the spring of 2014, I spent six weeks at the Cleveland Clinic as I learned how to cope with the pain and, more importantly, how to walk again. This program wasn’t easy. It involved aggressive therapy all day long and many tears. It was at the Cleveland Clinic that I learned how to live a normal life despite my pain.
A couple of months after leaving the Cleveland Clinic, the pain traveled to my left leg, a common symptom of CRPS.
When living with CRPS, physical activity is important. So, I joined a dance class. It not only helped me rehabilitate my legs but it gave me a place to escape from the physical and emotional pain I endured every day.
Sadly, I will most likely live with CRPS for the rest of my life, but this journey has proven to me that I can overcome anything. Dance gave me the power to get out of a painful place in my life, and it gave me back something that I never thought I would have again, the use of my legs.
“Looking back, I could be angry about what happened to me. But, I’m grateful God gave me this cross because CRPS made me who I am today. It gave me a passion for dance, and the strength, determination, and compassion, to give others hope through my story.”
Today, I suffer from the pain almost every day. There are days when I can control the pain, and there are days when the pain consumes me, unable to stand or get out of bed.
Despite my pain, I would never wish for a life without it. CRPS has shown me how strong I am. I never thought I would be where I am today.
I graduated high school as Captain of the Jesuit Rangerettes from Ursuline Academy of Dallas. I became an active college student at Kilgore College, where I was a dancer with the World-Famous Kilgore College Rangerette, leading as Captain my sophomore year. Now, I am a Chancellor Scholar recipient at Texas Christian University, where I am a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha, Gamma Psi Chapter, sorority. While I continue to choreograph and work with drill teams across Texas freelance and with Encore Creative Productions.
A LOOK BACK ON
THE JOURNEY
2013
5th Grade
Active golf player in the NTPGA
Playground Accident
Began physical therapy
Diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Lost the ability to walk
2014
5th into 6th Grade
Admitted into the Pain Management Program at the Cleveland Clinic
Learned to walk again after 6 weeks at the Cleveland Clinic
Took my first dance class
2015
6th into 7th Grade
Made my middle school drill team
Played Volleyball and Basketball in middle school
Didn’t talk about my pain because no one understood my situation
Began to isolate myself from my family and friends
2016
7th into 8th Grade
Became Captain of my middle school drill team
Won the 8th grade D2 Volleyball Championship
Continued to keep my pain to myself
2017
8th Grade into Freshman Year
Made my high school drill team
Started my freshman year at Ursuline Academy
2018
Freshmen into Sophomore Year
Started to understand and process everything I experienced as a kid
2019
Sophomore into Junior Year
Became Junior Lieutenant of my high school drill team
2020
Junior into Senior Year
Became Captain of my high school drill team
Started talking honestly with my family about my pain
2021
Senior Year into Freshman Year of College
Ended my year as Captain by revealing my struggles with pain to my team
Tried out and became a World Famous Kilgore College Rangerette
Gained incredible support from my team, allowing me to turn my pain into purpose
Posted about my story for the first time in November, CRPS Awareness Month
2022
Freshman Year into Sophomore Year in College
Hosted Walk Strong, in April, my first event to fundraise money for CRPS
Hosted the Blanket Project, in November
Started my nonprofit, Burning Hope
Had an ice cream shake named after me at The Kilgore Mercantile in support of Burning Hope and CRPS
2023
Sophomore into Junior Year in College
Accepted into Texas Christian University to further my studies in Communications and Body Movement Science
Hosted the second Walk Strong, in April
Was the motivational speaker for American Dance/Drill Team’s (ADTS) summer camps
Choreographed dances for high school drill teams
2023 Cont.
Junior Year in College
Received the Chancellor's Scholarship at TCU
Became a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha, Gamma Psi Chapter sorority at TCU
