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William Miller Jr.

William Miller Jr.
Posted on: 06/17/2019

As the pastor of Isle of Hope Baptist Church, William Miller Jr. (or "Brother Billy," as he prefers to be called) spends many hours coming and going, sharing the Gospel. He's now able to move around more actively, after his hip replacement surgery in December 2018.

Before he was called to the ministry, Miller spent 36 years working for Savannah Electric & Power Company. He worked in a number of capacities from meter specialist to troubleshooter. They were all jobs that required him to be on his feet a lot. Soon after becoming a pastor in 2009, he had a hunting accident that affected the way he walked.

"I was deer hunting and my tree stand became unsecured and I slid about 12 feet down the tree," said Miller. "When I hit the ground, I assumed I had multiple injuries." Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, but the accident resulted in a limp that he had for approximately eight years.

The limp began to affect his daily activities so he sought the advice of an orthopedic surgeon. He learned that the accident had caused arthritis in his hip, and his surgeon, Dr. Chetan Deshpande, recommended hip replacement surgery on Billy's right hip.

The surgery was a success. Immediately after his surgery on December 10, 2018, he had lunch and then it was time to walk. "Billy and the other therapy aides were great. They helped me get up and walk and I've been walking ever since," said Miller. He says he has not had much of a limp and no pain while walking or climbing steps.

Even before his surgery, Miller says he spent a lot of time at Memorial, visiting and praying with other patients. He credits Deshpande and the care team at the joint replacement center of excellence for his recovery. "The staff was so caring. They treated me like I was the only patient in the hospital."

A few days after surgery, Brother Billy was back in the ministry and also back in the deer stand. "Thank the Lord, I've been doing great since the surgery," he said. "Give God all the praise and glory for answered prayers."

William Miller Jr.
Posted on: 06/17/2019

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