A Wish-Made Friendship

Brandon Lane Phillips and Jeremy Miller are unlikely friends. Brandon was born with tetralogy of Fallot and lived with his family in Louisiana. Jeremy was a child actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver on the hit 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains." The two men met when Brandon, at age 11, had a wish granted to him and he had a chance to meet Jeremy on the set of "Growing Pains" and theirs has been a friendship to transcend the years.

On this episode of "Heart to Heart with Anna," these long-time friends talk to Anna about how they were brought together, what transpired in their lives for them to be brought together time and again, and how they came to write a book together -- "When I Wished Upon a Star: From Broken Homes to Mended Hearts" and what it meant to them to win the Baby Hearts Press People's Choice Award.

Here are Brandon Lane Phillips other "Heart to Heart with Anna" appearances:

Heart Warrior Doctor-Nurse Team: Treating Pediatric Cardiology Patients 

Interwoven Lives and Congenital Heart Defects
 
To order the book "When I Wished Upon a Star: From Broken Homes to Mended Hearts," Use this link: https://wheniwisheduponastar.com/

The nonprofit organization responsible for granting Brandon's wish: https://www.starlight.org/

Please visit our Social Media and Podcast pages:

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The Hearts Unite the Globe (HUG) nonprofit organization is happy to welcome our newest Patreon subscribers, David and Ann Corbly to our HUG family.

Transcript

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Jeremy Miller : 1:29

This is my brother. We both ended up with this wonderful extended family that we never expected.

Anna Jaworski : 1:41

Welcome to Heart to Heart with Anna. I am Anna Jaworski, and the host of your program. I'm happy that you're here with us today. I'm thrilled to interview a very special pair of friends, colleagues and so much more in today's episode of "A Wish-Made Friendship." Today we have two unlikely people as guests on our program. One guest is a Heart Warrior who is also a pediatric cardiologist, the other is an actor from a 1980s sitcom. In this episode we'll learn how they met through a unique and special wish, we'll discover how their meeting was life changing for both of them, and how it has led to a lifelong connection. Who would have thought a Heart Warrior born with tetralogy of Fallot and a child actor could forge your friendship to help them through their many growing pains, but also discover how these two young men came to write an award-winning book and what that has meant to them. With me today are Brandon Lane Philips and Jeremy Miller. Brandon Lane Philips is an award-winning author and pediatric cardiologist with tetralogy of Fallot. Brandon Lane Phillips was born in Alexandria, Louisiana to Jerry Phillips and Carolyn Wagner Philips. Dr. Denton Cooley performed Brandon's first open-heart surgery at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas in 1979. Brandon graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. From there he attended Tulane University School of Medicine. He had a second open-heart surgery performed by Dr. Francisco Puga at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in the summer between his first and second years of medical school. Brandon completed his general pediatrics residency at Texas Children's Hospital and his pediatric cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He was trained by the physicians who provided care for him during his two open heart procedures. Jeremy Miller is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver, the younger son on "Growing Pains," a popular 1980s television show and two subsequent reunion movies. He was also the voice of Linus Van Pelt in "Happy New Year Charlie Brown" and "Snoppy The Musical." Jeremy has a vast career of commercials, TV series, films in person and as character voices. As young Ben Seaver on "Growing Pains," Jeremy won several awards and nominations. While portraying a growing young man on the television show, he also faced serious personal problems of alcohol abuse. Jeremy had studied drama and culinary arts in college. He continues to follow his passions of acting and cooking. He's appeared in movies and teaches private cooking classes and group cooking parties. Jeremy and his wife Joanie reside in California. He is the co-author of the new book "When I Wished upon a Star: From Broken Homes to Mended Hearts." So let's get started first with Dr. Brandon Lane Phillips. Welcome back to the show. Everybody will remember you from when you were on the program called "Heart Warrior, Doctor, Nurse Team Treating Pediatric Cardiology Patients" and also the program "Interwoven Lives and Congenital Heart Defects." Welcome back, Dr. Phillips.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 4:41

Oh, Anna, thank you so much for having me back. I'm just grateful for the opportunity to return. It's always a great time getting to visit with you.

Anna Jaworski : 4:48

Oh, well, I always enjoy visiting with you, too. And I'm so excited to meet your co-author, Jeremy Miller. This is going to be a great program.

Jeremy Miller : 4:58

Hi, Anna, thank you so much for having us on.

Anna Jaworski : 5:01

Well, this is going to be fun. Let's get started -- because my program is for the congenital heart defect community -- let's start with a heart question. People who have listened to your shows before Dr. Phillips know that you were born with Tetralogy of Fallot. And we've already talked about that a little bit, but let's talk specifically about your wish and what that has meant to you.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 5:20

Absolutely. I'm excited to be here with Jeremy. Jeremy is one of my closest friends. But growing up I really had questions about my heart defects. And my longevity and would I ever be able to achieve my dreams. I also felt that my heart defect had caused my parents to divorce. They had been married for 20 years and separated on my fifth birthday. And growing up, I couldn't help but feel that my heart defect had affected their marriage in some bad way. Even though we all lived in the same town, I never really got to spend as much time with my father as I would like. I really wanted him to be more involved in my day to day life rather than just seeing him every other weekend and a few weeks during the summer.

Anna Jaworski : 6:02

Sure, that makes sense.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 6:03

So as a young kid, my mom worked as a prison guard and she worked at night and I spent many evenings with my grandmother while she worked. And during that time, I watched a lot of television. I love the family sitcoms of the '80s, Cosby, Family Ties, Our House , Who's the Boss? were all some of my favorites. I longed for the sense of togetherness I saw on the small screen each and every week, but Growing Pains was my favorite television show at the time of my wish. Who wouldn't want a two-parent family, a stay-at-home dad, and a happy ending each and every week? Jeremy, who played Ben on Growing Pains, was closest to my age and I wanted to meet the actor who came into my living room every week and gave me so much joy. Before my wish I was in really a dark place. I was in need of another heart cath. I was worried about what that meant, and the possible need for stents or some other procedure, maybe even surgery. And I really wanted to stay with my dad as I entered the new academic year. I'd kind of worked out a plan with my parents where maybe I could stay with him rather than staying with my grandmother, and it just failed epically. And I remember one night just feeling really sorry for myself and I was laying in bed, "God If you love me, just show me that you love me." And about a month passed. I went to Houston for my heart cath and while I was waiting for the procedure, I received a call from the Starlight Children's Foundation. My wish was going to be granted about a month after my recovery. My aunt, mom and I were flown out to California to meet Jeremy and watch a taping of the show.

Anna Jaworski : 7:43

It sounds like you had a lot going on in your life with your parents divorce and trying to decide where you wanted to live. And all of a sudden you get this amazing wish. Jeremy, let's turn to you now. Were you close in age to Brandon, I think Brandon said he was 11 at the time. How old were you when you met Brandon?

Jeremy Miller : 8:04

I believe I had just turned 13 and Brandon and I were very close in age. We have had many kids come through the set before, many Wish Kids for different reasons. And none of them had ever come specifically to meet me. Kirk was the big star of our show, Kirk Cameron and most of the people wanted to come and meet him. Or they just wanted to come and see a taping or be a part of the show in some way. Brandon was the only person who specifically came to the set to meet me. And that was a big deal to me. And they don't give us a lot of information. They don't share a lot of the medical info - what these kids are going through or anything like that. All I knew is there was a kid who very well may not be long for this world and I had a chance to try and just give him an awesome day. And it was just an amazing honor for me.

Anna Jaworski : 8:55

Sure, sure. How exciting that usually it was for your co-star Kirk, but this time somebody was specifically asking for you. But let's face it, you were 13 years old. That can be a really awkward time and you were a person in the spotlight when most kids are not! And most 13-year-olds really don't want to be in the spotlight. What was your life like at that time?

Jeremy Miller : 9:18

Truthfully, the spotlight didn't bother me too much just partially because I grew up in it. I started acting when I was five. I did my first commercial and started doing films soon after that - even before I got Growing Pains so the celebrity aspect or the being-in-the-public-eye aspect wasn't in itself too daunting. I had a lot going on behind the scenes. Unfortunately, about two years before I met Brandon, (a) stepfather had come into my life who was not exactly a very good person, and a lot of abuse and he kind of set out to break me of my confidence. And unfortunately, by the time I met Brandon, he was starting to win. I was starting to get a lot of anxiety, I was dealing with a lot of fear about being on camera. Just a lot of overall general anxiety. The set was my safe place, getting away from home and going to work was where I was happiest. So the day Brandon came was such an awesome day for me. It really was, no matter what else was going on. I was at work and I was going to get to have this great day showing this kid around. And just making sure he had a blast.

Anna Jaworski : 10:32

And Brandon, what was it like for you when you finally met face-to-face this person that you watched regularly on television, who you maybe even kind of considered a friend from afar.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 10:43

It was just fantastic. I grew up in the country, I didn't really have a lot of kids my age that I got to do things with but Jeremy and I actually got to do a bike tour of the studio lot. And we actually jumped out of one of the barns on the set. It was just a great day to be a kid and I was really worried how my mom was going to feel. Like she tried to keep me bubble wrapped as a kid and Jeremy just wanted me to go have fun with him for the day. And we certainly succeeded in doing that.

Heart to Heart with Michael : 11:08

"Texas Heart Institute was offering us a mechanical heart and he said, "No, Dad, I've had enough. Give it to someone who's worthy." "My father promised me a golden dress to twirl in. He held my hand and asked me where I wanted to go." "Whatever strife or conflict that we experienced in our long career together was always healed by humor." Heart to Heart with Michael... please join us every Thursday at noon Eastern as we talk with people from around the world who have experienced those most difficult moments.

Disclaimer : 11:37

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The opinions expressed in the podcast are not those of Hearts Unite the Globe, but of the Hosts and Guests and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to congenital heart disease or bereavement.

Rejoiner : 11:58

You are listening to Heart to Heart with Anna. If you have a question or comment that you would like addressed on our show, please send an email to Anna Jaworski at Anna@HearttoHeartwithAnna.com. That's Anna@HearttoHeartwithAnna.com. Now back to Heart to Heart with Anna.

Anna Jaworski : 12:16

Before the break we were talking about how child sitcom actor Jeremy Miller came to grant a wish for Brandon Lane Philips and in this segment I want us to talk about how the two of you were reunited years later. Because you guys were kind of worlds apart, and yet, you did come back together. Brandon, when did you meet up with Jeremy again and what was going on in your life at that time?

Brandon Lane Phillips : 12:40

After my wish, Jeremy and I lost contact. We would write letters for a little while back and forth. But when Growing Pains ended, our contact with each other ended at the same time. I went off to college and as I was interviewing for medical school, I actually interviewed for medical school at Tulane on Jeremy's birthday in 1999. And it reminded me of my wish, and I probably talked about my wish in my interviews more than I should have, but it was just kind of what was on my mind that day, and I should have seen it as a little bit of foreshadowing. When I was graduating from college, I had reconnected with Jeremy's co-star Kirk Cameron. I had wrote about my wish experience on a Growing Pains fan board and one of his friends was able to connect the two of us. So when I interviewed for pediatric residency positions all over the country, Kirk invited me out to his home to meet his wife and kids. When I interviewed at UCLA in Los Angeles, that evening, Kirk had a surprise for me, the whole cast of growing pains was coming to New Orleans to film a reunion movie. And I knew that that meant that I would have the opportunity to meet Jeremy again. At that time, my dad had prostate cancer and he actually died a week before the cast was set to arrive. I remember when I was at my dad's wake that Kirk actually called me just to tell me he was sorry for my loss and that he was looking forward to seeing me in a week and that he was looking forward to reintroducing me to the cast. Honestly, I think I was going to be in one of the darkest parts of my life. But with Jeremy and Kirk on hand, it just reminded me of what my wish was. My wish really was about the brokenness of my relationship with my dad. And during that time, when I would have normally just had that loss to mourn (because his death meant that we wouldn't have the relationship that I envisioned that we would have), all of a sudden, this TV family that brought me so much joy during my childhood was actually back in my life. And every day during medical school, I actually had a light load, they changed my course load for the month after my father's death, just so that I would have a little bit of downtime - which just gave me the opportunity to go to the set every day and hang out with Kirk and Jeremy and really form a relationship with them. And they actually even gave me a little part as an extra in the movie during that time.

Anna Jaworski : 15:00

Oh, my gosh, that is so awesome. Wow. It seems like God heard your prayer again. I mean, without you even having to ask it this time.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 15:13

It was just unbelievable that they would show up again in my life, right when I needed them. And it's actually happened time and time again.

Anna Jaworski : 15:21

Yeah, amazing. So Jeremy, how old were you when Growing Pains ended?

Jeremy Miller : 15:27

I was 15 years old when Growing Pains ended. At the time, I was a little burnt out being in front of the camera. I don't think it had as much to do with the acting or being on set or anything. Like I said that was kind of my safe place, my happy place. But the mental and physical abuse had really started to take its toll by then and I just kind of wanted a break. I was very, very down on myself as a lot of teenagers are, especially when you have someone in the house telling you 24-7 that you're worthless. It just became something that I just didn't want to be seen for a while. But it was also all I knew. So from 15 to 18 or so I kind of vacillated between hiding and acting, but the anxiety was really building up. I was starting to suffer pretty severely from a general anxiety disorder by about 18ish. That's where I really discovered the social lubricates aspect of alcohol. Long story behind all of that - I'd always been kind of predispositioned - that went back to a very young age. But I never really liked alcohol. And I was never really able to hold it down until I was around 18 years old. And when you don't have any confidence, and you don't feel like you can be around people, but you're forced into those situations constantly, alcohol made it go smoother for me. That's unfortunate truth. And it became an everyday crutch for me, probably by the age of 21-22 years old. I was a relatively happy drunk at first, I wasn't a mean and angry drunk and alcohol was working for me at the time. It was doing what I wanted it to do, which was numb all of that stuff that I couldn't face and couldn't deal with. So by the time I got to New Orleans, to film the second reunion film I was 27 years old, and I was on the precipice of the downhill of my addiction.

Anna Jaworski : 17:36

Hmm, wow. So here, the young man that you've had met at age 11, was just suffering the death of his father. And you were also in a very dark place at that same time.

Jeremy Miller : 17:51

Yeah, I was really starting to hit that darkness. It hadn't gone off the rails completely. But it was really heading in that direction. I had started to become a blackout drunk. By that point, I was blacking out pretty much every night. And things were yeah, getting very, very dark there for a while. Having Brandon brought back into my life at that point, not even knowing what it would mean and what it would entail later was quite a blessing. Just one day on the set, Kirk came over said he had a surprise for me, you know, "Hey, come here, I want to show you something" and he pulls me around the corner. He goes, "I got somebody I want to introduce you to." And he walks me over, you know, "Jeremy, this is ..." he never get the words out, I looked up and there's this face I knew. And I went, "Brandon Phillips" and I am not proud of this but to be honest, the next words out of my mouth were "How are you still alive?" And I just gave him a big hug. It was one of the biggest things that could have brought a smile to my face at that time.

Anna Jaworski : 19:00

I can imagine because as a child actor who is granting wishes to children who were given terminal diagnoses, I'm sure that you kind of had to put those people out of your mind. They're not the kind of people that you would think about over and over because in your mind, this is someone with a terminal illness who is probably going to pass away. And yet here he was.

Jeremy Miller : 19:22

I wouldn't say 'didn't come to mind' because I thought of Brandon many times over those years, but yes, after a certain period of time, you just come to expect, especially because we again, I wasn't privy to the exact details. I didn't know exactly what was wrong, what could go wrong. We never really got into that stuff. So as far as I knew, it was very possible that Brandon was no longer with us. So all these years later, in that very dark time, to see an old friend, who I really did not think was here anymore was just very uplifting.

Anna Jaworski : 20:02

Okay, so you were uplifting to him. He had just lost his dad and he's reunited with this television family that he idolized, and you were reunited with an old friend, somebody who made you feel important at a time when you had other authoritative figures in your life making you not feel important. It really does seem like God wove your lives together for a particular reason, doesn't it, Brandon?

Brandon Lane Phillips : 20:25

It absolutely does. It has really been a special friendship. And even on some of my other darkest days, I've always had the connection back to my wish. When I had my last heart procedure just a couple of years ago on my flight home, I was flying from Dallas into Monroe, Louisiana. Kirk Cameron was on my flight. He had missed an earlier flight. He was coming here for other purposes. But he was on my flight and actually got assigned the seat in front of me on the airplane. So coming back from my last heart procedure, I have the selfie that Kirk took of us on the airplane.

Anna Jaworski : 20:59

I've seen that picture. That's in your book, isn't it?

Brandon Lane Phillips : 21:02

It is.

Anna Jaworski : 21:03

Yes! I knew I had seen that picture before. You know the interesting thing? I get the feeling that Kirk acted like a big brother to both of you.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 21:13

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Kirk over the years has just been there for me in ways that I can't even explain. Sometimes he just wouldn't know what my needs were and reach out to me just to say hi, but really just checking on me and making sure everything's going okay.

HUG Store : 21:32

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HomeTonightForever : 21:59

“Home Tonight Forever” by the Baby Blue Sound Collective. (Anna) "I think what I love so much about this CD is that some of the songs were inspired by the patients." (Dr. W) "Many listeners will understand many of the different songs and what they've been inspired by. Our new album will be available on iTunes, Amazon.com, Spotify." (Anna) "I love the fact that the proceeds from this CD are actually going to help those with congenital heart defects." (Dr. W) Enjoy the music. (Anna) Home. Tonight. Forever.

Rejoiner : 22:38

You are listening to Heart to Heart with Anna. If you have a question or comment that you would like addressed on our show, please send an email to Anna Jaworski at Anna@HearttoHeartwithAnna.com. That's Anna@HearttoHeartwithAnna.com. Now back to Heart to Heart with Anna.

Anna Jaworski : 23:22

It just seems like the two of you, and Kirk, are meant to keep running into each other and to keep being there for each other. And particularly at times that are very difficult for you.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 23:36

On their last day of filming their reunion movie in New Orleans was our medical school Match Day. So Jeremy and Kirk were actually with me on the very day I found out that my dream of working with my childhood cardiologist was going to come to fruition. And that evening, they had a wrap party for the television show. And one of the actresses from the show, Ashley Johnson, brought a street performer off the streets of New Orleans, who was a teenager to the wrap party with her. He was kind of from a circus family and just did street performances. And lo and behold, I go to San Francisco six years later to take my pediatric cardiology boards, which I did not pass the first time, and I knew leaving the room that I had not passed. I just could not read fast enough to get through the material. And I was kind of down and depressed that day. One of my co fellows from Mayo Clinic and I were walking along the Fisherman's Wharf area after the exam and we run into Orion. He was the young man that I had met six years before on the night of the wrap party for Growing Pains. And it was just amazing to me that I could connect the day that I took my boards to the day that I found out that I was going to work with my physician, to the day of my wish. It was just unbelievable that there was a thread that connected all three of those days. And it just gave me a sense that everything is going to work out just fine.

Anna Jaworski : 24:55

And I felt that when I was reading your book. I felt that there were these connections and how your lives were so interwoven. When did you all decided that you were going to write a book together?

Brandon Lane Phillips : 25:08

So a couple of years ago, my hometown gave me a key to the city. And as part of that I asked Jeremy to come. I had been to Los Angeles to Jeremy's home several times, and I had always, especially as a kid wanted Jeremy to come spend time with me in my hometown. So getting to have Jeremy come to my hometown and meet some of my closest friends growing up was just phenomenal, but we shared the story of how we met and how both of our lives had benefited from my wish as a kid and after that night. We decided that we needed to write it as a book and share it to a broader audience.

Anna Jaworski : 25:43

Jeremy, what did putting your story on paper mean for you?

Jeremy Miller : 25:52

First of all, as Brandon knows, in recovery, honesty and forthcomingness is extremely important. So the first thing was just deciding that nothing was off limits, that I was going to be as open and honest about anything and everything is possible. The second thing was, it was just a hope that you know, maybe our story could touch some people's lives and give them a little hope. The thread that Brandon was talking about, and that you clearly see as well. To me, Brandon's story, my story, how all of it intertwines all at the most crucial moments is just, to me, it's a clear illustration of God's plan.

Anna Jaworski : 26:32

Yeah. Oh, it seems very clear to me as well. Yeah. And it seems like this book, in a way, was a therapeutic device for you as well. A chance for you to use this vehicle of a book to help you - I don't know - exercise your demons, get it all out, and maybe have a new beginning.

Jeremy Miller : 26:55

All the pain that we go through in life. If you don't turn it around and use it to help others who are going through the same stuff, then there's no point to it. You know, I believe that turning that pain into something else gives you purpose and gives that pain a purpose. They say that one out of every four men have suffered sexual abuse. But you know what, they don't talk about it.

Anna Jaworski : 27:19

Mm hmm.

Jeremy Miller : 27:21

That's a fact. So guys hold on to that. And they're ashamed of that. And it eats them up inside. I've had so many men in recovery break down the moment I share what I went through as a kid. And break down and have that moment where they look up and realize that they're not alone.

Anna Jaworski : 27:39

Wow

Jeremy Miller : 27:39

Being able to put all that in the book was not only cathartic, but knowing that that was the purpose - that we were doing it to let others know: a) they're not alone and that hopefully they will see the same plan, the same guidance and the same comfort that I see in our story. And I see in God's hand in our lives.

Anna Jaworski : 28:02

I think it's interesting how both of you were dealing with broken homes. Both of you were dealing with really in an essence, broken dreams - things that were not going to work out for you. For you, Brandon, I think things were a little bit different. You had a whole different purpose in your life with that of becoming a pediatric cardiologist and I kind of feel like you had the same realization that Jeremy did, that you needed to turn your pain and suffering into a vehicle to help others. Can you talk a little bit about how growing up with a heart defect and the uncertainty of living with that catapulted you into wanting to be a pediatric cardiologist yourself?

Brandon Lane Phillips : 28:43

I just loved my pediatric cardiologists growing up, Dr. Tom Vargo was just absolutely fantastic. And I remember going to my appointments to see him. And it was like going to see a movie star. I just really just enjoyed getting to see him and I just took the opportunity, when I had my appointments to ask him, "How do I prepare for medical school? I want to do this." I even made him do a heart Cath once with me kind of semi-awake so I could watch the procedure telling him that, "Well, I'm going to be doing this one day, you might as well start teaching me now." So...

Anna Jaworski : 29:17

I love that story.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 29:19

It was just one of those things that I wanted to do. But I think one of the things that I just found absolutely unique is that in Jeremy's recovery, the company that helped Jeremy got sober actually had Jeremy work with them afterwards so that he was a patient advocate. So he was working with people who were suffering from alcoholism as I was treating patients with congenital heart defects. And I just thought that was kind of a very unique parallelism in our life, just like the many other connections that we had, or similarities that we had, that we were both taking care of people who we understood because we had been where they were.

Anna Jaworski : 29:55

Yes, absolutely. What was that like for you, Jeremy? To have to work with other people who were recovering just like you had?

Jeremy Miller : 30:04

Getting to work with others in recovery was an amazing lesson. And I still do it every day, although it's not a job for me at the moment. But working with others is still a very large part of my recovery. But getting to actually work at a clinic and work directly with patients, follow up with them, advocate for them, and basically just be their touch poin from the time they come into the office all the way through their recovery - that was a real blessing for me. And it was a struggle, believe me.

Anna Jaworski : 30:34

And I imagine now that you all have published this book that maybe you're getting even more people contacting you. Is that true?

Jeremy Miller : 30:44

I would say yes, the book has definitely helped get our story and our message out there, and especially the publicity that we've done for the book has really, in my opinion, helped to reach a lot of people. There's been considerably more contact and people who have been touched by the book who have reached out and just thanked me for sharing our story.

Anna Jaworski : 31:05

I was really touched by the book, when I read it. It really touched my heart.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 31:09

I was gonna say one of the things that's been interesting to me as well, Jeremy will go to these autograph signings and he takes our books with them and sells them and a few of Jeremy's fans have actually reached out to me to thank me for writing this book and that it has been a huge benefit to them. And that was something I didn't expect going into this.

Anna Jaworski : 31:27

I want to commend both of you for being the first winners of the Baby Hearts Press People's Choice Award. I don't know if everybody who listens to Heart to Heart with Anna knows this, but I started Baby Hearts Press years ago when I was looking for resources as a Heart Mom, and there really wasn't anything available for heart moms that was uplifting. Most of the things that I found that related to my son's heart defect were about children who had passed away and I was desperate for hope. So I ended up putting together books myself. And now I've had the great joy of conducting the very first People's Choice Award and your book is the book that won. So congratulations and tell me what it's meant to you to win that award.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 32:12

Well, when I first started to write the memoir, Anna, I really could not imagine that it would be seen beyond close friends and family. And I've just been absolutely astonished by the response. Jeremy and I had the opportunity to be interviewed on "Fox and Friends," we were on "Hour of Power" and we've done numerous podcasts, about our friendship and our story since then. It was truly an honor to win the Baby Hearts Press award, because one of my goals in writing this book was to share my experience with my patients and others with congenital heart disease to let them know that they're not alone. So getting this award was just a great reassurance to me that our story resonated with them.

Anna Jaworski : 32:51

Yeah, absolutely. What did it mean to you, Jeremy?

Jeremy Miller : 32:55

I would have to reiterate what Brandon said. It was something that you hope people will read and you hope people will inspire them. To win this award and to know that we achieved that goal- that our story is bringing people some hope and some uplifting - that really touches me and it makes it all worthwhile. It's not something we set out to be bestseller authors with, or it was just something we wanted to try and touch some lives and this definitely shows that we've been able to do that. It's quite an honor.

Anna Jaworski : 33:29

Congratulations again, would you please state the name of the book again and where people can find it? Because I'm sure once people listen to this podcast, they're going to want to read the book.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 33:40

So the book is "When I Wished upon a Star: From Broken Homes to Mended Hearts." It can be found at your favorite online retailer, and on Anna's website, and autographed copies are exclusively available on our website https://wheniwisheduponastar.com/

Anna Jaworski : 33:57

That's great. Thank you both for coming on the program. I really enjoyed getting to hear a little bit more of your story and just having a chance to bring you two friends together again. Thank you so much for coming on the program, Jeremy.

Jeremy Miller : 34:12

Thank you so much for having us, Anna.

Anna Jaworski : 34:14

Thank you so much, Brandon. It's been delightful having you on the program again.

Brandon Lane Phillips : 34:19

Thank you. I'm already looking forward to the next time.

Anna Jaworski : 34:22

Me, too. Me, too. But that's it for this week's episode. This week I'm hoping all of you who are listening to this program will download a new app called Goodpods. It's a great way to listen to your favorite podcasts and you can see what your friends are listening to as well. So please subscribe to Heart to Heart with Anna on Goodpods and listen to our show. You never know who else you know who might need to have a little bit of Heart to Heart with Anna to help them through their difficult times. Have a great week, my friends, and remember - you are not alone.

Conclusion : 34:52

Thank you again for joining us this week. We hope you have been inspired and empowered to become an advocate for the congenital heart defects community. Heart to Heart with Anna, with your host Anna Jaworski, can be heard every Tuesday at 12 noon, Eastern Time.