Photos courtesy of Justyn Millar.
On Tuesday mornings in Mountain Brook, flashes of emerald green appear everywhere: on T-shirts in elementary school hallways, bows tied to mailboxes and bracelets worn by neighbors and classmates. The color has become a symbol of solidarity for 8-year-old George Millar, a Brookwood Forest Elementary third grader whose leukemia diagnosis in January transformed not only his family’s life, but an entire community determined to make sure he never fights alone.
George was diagnosed on January 16, 2026, after what initially seemed like a routine illness.
“We were first diagnosed after two days of fevers and bilateral leg pain,” said his mother, Justyn Millar. “Before that, he was perfectly healthy to our knowledge.”
Within hours of a pediatrician visit, the family found themselves in the emergency room being met by the hematology-oncology team.
“They pretty much told us, ‘Your son has leukemia,’” she said. “From there, it really felt like drinking from a fire hose.”
The diagnosis upended life for the Millars — George; his siblings Charlie, Poppy and Bodie; and parents Craig and Justyn, both healthcare professionals themselves. Craig is a pediatric radiologist at Children’s of Alabama, while Justyn, who holds a doctorate as a pediatric certified nurse practitioner, stepped away from clinical work to reduce infection risks for George during treatment.
“It is hard when your attention has to be totally focused on one child,” she said.
George’s younger siblings have struggled to understand the reality of cancer in their own ways.
“Charlie understands George is sick but thought George would be better tomorrow,” Justyn said. “Poppy and Bodie are really too young to understand.”
For George, one of the hardest adjustments has been losing the normal rhythm of childhood. A self-described lover of math, sports and social time with friends, he now completes homeschool instruction four days a week for one hour each day while also participating virtually in robotics, art and classroom group learning.
“My teacher is Ms. Leffert, and she’s really funny and kind,” George said.
Brookwood Forest Elementary has worked tirelessly to keep him connected. Students make “Cards for George” every week, and George joins his classmates online for read-aloud sessions and group activities twice daily. He also occasionally attends school in person in carefully controlled settings, including completing ACAP testing in a private room decorated with a green support banner.
Asked what he misses most about school, George answered simply: “Seeing all my friends and stuff.”
The support from classmates and neighbors has been relentless since the diagnosis. Families wear green every Tuesday because it marks George’s clinic day. Green bows from Smith’s Variety decorate mailboxes throughout Mountain Brook under the rallying cry “#GeorgeStrong.” Community meal trains, fundraisers and online support pages continue months into treatment.
“From families wearing green on Tuesdays for his clinic days at Brookwood Forest to the Mountain Brook baseball community rallying around him — from the green bows on mailboxes to the bracelets and yellow ribbon on his baseball jersey — it has all been truly extraordinary,” Justyn said. “It is an honor to feel so deeply supported — even by people we’ve never met.”
Baseball, especially, has become a source of joy and resilience for George.
Initially, doctors warned he likely would not be able to play because of the dangers posed by the port placed in his chest during treatment. But coaches and league officials across Mountain Brook Recreation found creative ways to adapt the game for him.
George now bats using coach pitch instead of player pitch, uses a courtesy runner after reaching base and safely plays in the outfield.
“It was just an amazing way for them to meet us halfway,” Justyn said.
Then came a moment she says she will never forget.
“When we picked up his baseball jersey for the first game, the entire Mountain Brook baseball league had yellow ribbons on their jerseys with his initials on them,” she said. “It was so touching I had to take a moment in the dugout.”
Other teams soon joined in, adding helmet stickers and ribbons in support. The Mountain Brook High School girls softball team invited George to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at one of its games. Since then, he has also thrown first pitches for the Birmingham Barons and the Mountain Brook Little League World Series. On May 14, he threw the first pitch for Auburn’s game against Georgia.
Asked whether he feels nervous before walking onto the field in front of thousands of fans, George shrugged confidently.
George said, “I just feel excited!”
The sports world has embraced him in other ways, too. Auburn basketball players decorated and wore white shoes in George’s honor during a game, later auctioning them to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer.
Organizations including Children’s Harbor and Camp Smile-A-Mile have also helped the family navigate the emotional toll of pediatric cancer. Even when George was too sick to attend a Cosmic Baseball event arranged by Smile-A-Mile, the Cosmic Chili Peppers team signed a jersey for him to ensure he still felt included.
“Moments like these have meant everything to our family,” Justyn said.
Despite the challenges, George remains remarkably grounded. He still loves kickball, dodgeball, football and tag, though he understands treatment has changed what he can safely do.
“I know I can’t play fully now because my port could become cracked or I could get hurt,” he said matter-of-factly.
Still, the community surrounding him continues to prove that childhood cancer is not a battle the Millars have to face alone.
