Journelism

The Four Diamonds Fund: The Legacy of Sir Millard

In 1972, Christopher Millard died at the age of 14 from cancer. Though young when he passed, he did not leave those who survived him empty-handed. He had written a story about a knight named Sir Millard, a brave nobleman who used the four diamonds of courage, wisdom, strength and honesty to battle adversity, representing his own battle with cancer. Today, his legacy lives on through the Four Diamonds Fund, which has helped support more than 2,000 families in their fight against pediatric cancer.

Regular people come and go. They are born, they live and they eventually cease to be. But some are not content walking down the well-traveled paths that lie before them, choosing instead to break the mold and become something better: a hero. These people create ripples of selflessness and hope that are felt even when they themselves have left the waters. This is the story of one of those heroes: Christopher Millard.

Born the son of Charles and Irma Millard, Chris was an exceptional person from day one. One of his greatest talents was an awesome storytelling ability. His intelligence and imagination could have taken him to the heights of any of life’s avenues had he been given enough time, but at just 11, he and his family would find out the crushing truth: he had cancer.

Somehow, Chris was able to summon enough strength, not only to fight the cancer, but to use it as the catalyst for his newest story. Over the next three years, Chris would craft the story of Sir Millard, a knight from King Arthur’s roundtable who used his considerable skills to overcome the evils that plagued the world.

Millard’s story begins when he is captured by an evil witch, who admires Millard’s courageousness and tells him that if he can complete four tasks, she will give him one of her four diamonds for each task completed. If he completes all four tasks, he would receive freedom from his cruel captor.

Though the tasks are almost impossible, Millard overcomes each one. He receives The Diamond of Courage, followed by the Diamonds of Wisdom and Honesty, and finally The Diamond of Strength. When he collects the last diamond, the witch is banished and he is knighted for his heroism.

The real-life Millard was every bit as courageous, wise, honest and strong as the knight he crafted in his story, but he would fall short in his own battle for freedom. After three years of battling his disease, Chris died at age 14.

For most people, the end of the road means the end of the story. Yet Chris wasn’t like most people; he was a hero.

His bravery in the face of overwhelming odds—coupled with his inspirational story of Sir Millard—inspirited his parents to start The Four Diamonds Fund, which helps children diagnosed with cancer, providing financial and emotional support to them and their families, and funding research to help cure the disease once and for all.

Since it was started in 1972, more than 2,000 families have benefited from The Fund. Today, around 100 families each year receive support. It has helped save the lives of countless individuals; with the research that has blossomed because of its support, many of the cancers that would have been death sentences for children just years ago are now beatable.

Though Chris lost his own battle, his efforts have saved the lives of hundreds and maybe thousands of other children he would never get the chance to meet. More than 30 years after his death—through his story and the fund created in his honor—people are still being inspired to use the four diamonds of courage, wisdom, honesty and strength to go beyond the call of duty and to become heroes themselves, be it by beating their own cancer or by helping children they may never know overcome theirs.

You have the chance to be a hero. Join Chris’ fight and the that of thousands from around the world; please visit http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/fourdiamonds/ or http://www.thon.org/ to find out how you can help end pediatric cancer.

Read more about Wes Culp’s personal work with THON here