MIAMI (AP) - Mike Miller is already celebrating, and the NBA finals have not even started.
The Heat forward and his wife brought home newborn daughter Jaelyn from a South Florida hospital on Saturday afternoon, about two weeks after the baby arrived. Jaelyn had spent some time in the pediatric intensive care unit with four holes in her heart _ the condition is called a ventricular septal defect, Miller said _ and is now doing much better.
At least one of the holes has closed, doctors said.
“Obviously, that’s my main concern right now,” Miller said. “She’s doing a lot better, which is big.”
Jaelyn will have a series of doctor’s appointments in the coming days, the first of those scheduled for Tuesday, hours before her father and the rest of the Miami Heat host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA finals. Her condition began improving considerably last week, around the time Miller made what he said was a tough decision to be with the Heat in Chicago for what became the clinching game of the Eastern Conference title series.
That trip was the first time he went a relatively extended period without being by Jaelyn’s side.
“They started her on some meds,” Miller said. “Her breathing got a little better. It’s still not where we want it. But we’re going to find out this week and figure out in the next hopefully month or two if she’ll need surgery or not.”
Miller’s closest friend on the Heat is former Florida Gators teammate Udonis Haslem, who went through a similar difficult period when his son was born in February.
Miller said his teammates have been extremely supportive throughout this rough time for his family.
“Obviously, there’s guys that understand what’s going on as an athlete, when you have something else going on, because everyone’s kind of been through, I’m sure, something personal when they’re playing,” Miller said.
Jaelyn is the third child for Miller and his wife, Jennifer.
In 2007, the couple donated $1 million to Sanford Childrens Hospital in his hometown of Mitchell, S.D., and in return for that gift the hospital there renamed its pediatric intensive care unit in the Millers’ honor. And in 2008, they gave $200,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., a gift made when Miller played for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Bringing Jaelyn home, Miller said, might get him a tiny bit more rest in time for the finals.
“We’ve got to keep our eye on her,” Miller said. “It’s a nonstop deal right now.”
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Tim Reynolds can be reached on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds
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