Former Cornwall-on-Hudson resident Deric Milligan (left) received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in a ceremony on May 9.
Deric Milligan, formerly of Cornwall-on-Hudson, received an Ellis Island Medal of Honor in a May 9 ceremony. He was part of a select group of honorees that included Supreme Court Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, retired baseball pitcher Mariano Rivera and Make-a-Wish Founder Frank Shankwitz.
Mr. Milligan was living in Cornwall-on-Hudson in 2008 when his wife Kristen was diagnosed with liver cancer. She was 30 years old at the time, and her children were ages five, three and one.
“We looked for support organizations,” her husband explained at the time, “but we couldn’t find any. So it led us to start Inheritance of Hope.”
The new organization arranged free weekend retreats for families in which a parent (like Kristen) had a life-threatening disease. Most of the early getaways were held at Six Flags Great Escape in the Adirondacks. They created a community of support, and helped families have fun and make memories.
A few years after creating Inheritance of Hope, the Milligans moved to North Carolina, where Kristen passed away in 2012. The organization that she co-founded, however, has continued to thrive. Inheritance of Hope has served families from 38 states, and has been recognized as a “Top 10 Children’s Charity in North America.”
As an Ellis Island Medal of Honor winner, her husband was recognized at a ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan and, along with the other honorees, was treated to a special performance of “Jersey Boys.” The next night the medalists took a private ferry to Ellis Island, had dinner in the Great Hall and watched a special fireworks show in front of the Statue of Liberty.
“Throughout the weekend,” Mr. Milligan said, “I reflected on how excited Kristen would be about the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. More than anything, she would be proud… amd thrilled with the growing number of people who support Inheritance of Hope.”
