Sunbury couple struggles with blindness, cancer

By Wayne Laepple
The Daily Item

November 28, 2007 05:30 am

— SUNBURY — Gerald “Jerry” Miller maintains a remarkably sunny outlook, considering his situation.
Mr. Miller has been blind since birth, and his wife, Charlotte, also known as Missy, is confined to a wheelchair. She was a cancer patient, and during treatment developed a blood clot in a leg, which required the amputation of the leg.
They have two calico cats, Stripes and Muffy.
“We’re doing as well as we can,” said Mr. Miller. “We’re able maintain our home, but we have to put everything we get into the house.”
He said they were able to get assistance to install a ramp, a stair lift and modify their bathroom for Missy’s use.
“We keep all the bills paid, but it pinches us pretty good,” he said.
Both the Millers receive Social Security Insurance payments, and Mr. Miller receives disability payments as well. He worked for the Blind Association for many years, caning chairs, but he’s no longer working since his wife’s illness, he said. His wife delivered newspapers until her illness.
“We really look forward to the food basket from the Salvation Army,” said Mr. Miller. “That helps a lot.”
Recent donors to the Needy Family Fund include: Janet McGlinn, Sunbury, $25; Lois Miller, Shamokin Dam, $50; Carl and Floris Knouse (in loving memory of Carl David Knouse), Sunbury, $100; Quality Print Shop, Northumberland, $250; Ronald and Suzanne Ivanitch, Sunbury, $100; Kay Wetzel, Selinsgrove, $50; Sterling and Wilma Herrold, Selinsgrove, $100; Robert and Sue Ellen Snyder, Milton, $100; Geraldine Mertz, Northumberland, $35; Carla and Tim Minori, Shamokin Dam, $50; Kalyann Krishnan, Milton, $500; and anonymous donations totaling $1,570.