Remembering Miles
Miles Haynie loved to run, jump and play.
When the rambunctious 5-year-old competed in the 2016 Muddy Miles race with his family, he was completely in his element – with his family and making others smile.
“He had so much fun that day,” said his father, Dr. J.R. Haynie. “It was a blast for everyone.”
Six days later Miles went to bed like every other day before. His dad tucked him in, playfully joking with his son. Only this time Miles didn’t wake up in the morning.
“I was at work and I got a phone call from my wife saying the four words that no parent wishes to ever hear, ‘J.R., Miles is dead,’” said Haynie. “He went to bed a healthy kid next to his twin, Jaxon, and just didn’t wake up.”
They were left with no answers and his death was classified as Sudden Unexplained Death in Children (SUDC). According to www.sudc.org, the exact number of deaths in children older than one year is unknown. But in examining data of deaths with undetermined causes, sudc.org concludes that only .2 percent out of 100,000 children in Miles’ age category (5-9) were affected by SUDC in 2015 (2 in a million).
“It is very difficult for me not knowing a reason,” said Haynie, an oral surgeon and owner of Lakeside Oral Surgery & Dental Implants. “It’s crushing as you can imagine, but with the help of our family, friends, and our faith in a loving Heavenly Father, we are growing and learning to love our family even more and not take for granted any moment.”
Miles’ passing devastated the Haynies and the community who all loved him dearly, and they frequently talk about the boy with the infectious smile and curly blond locks. The last major family outing the Haynies had with Miles was the Muddy Miles fun run in Post Falls.
“He loved that race so much, he talked about it all year,” Haynie said. “Later we realized that the reason he loved that race so much was because he thought it was named after him. His twin brother asked, ‘When are they going to have Muddy Jaxon?”
Two years later, the Haynies are still adjusting to the new normal with the help of friends, family, and their faith in God. Although they wish things were different, they have grown immensely as a family and have developed even deeper relationships with each other.
Dr. Haynie reports that if there is anything he, his wife Chelsea, and his three boys, Elliot, 11; Jaxon, 7; and Lincoln, would want to share with others is the importance of making one’s family their top priority.
“Be kinder than necessary, go out of your way to make someone’s day, don’t pass any opportunity to create a special moment, and when faced with the option to run through the mud with your kids, do it. Live on Purpose.
“The power of a moment is important,” Haynie said. “Do fun things; actively make memories with your kids. Don’t just wait for them to happen.”