It’s been nearly five years since Bode and Morgan Miller lost their 19-month-old daughter, Emeline, often called Emmy, in a drowning accident.
“She still gets Easter baskets, her pictures are everywhere and her room is still here,” Morgan, 36, told People in 2021. “Her closet is still full.”
And some of Emmy's pieces are still being worn.
In an Instagram post on April 9, Bode shared a powerful photo of his 18-month-old daughter, Scarlet, wearing her late sister Emmy's pink and cream Easter dress. The Olympic skier also included an image of Emmy in the floral design.
“Scarlet’s Easter dress was extra special this year. Swipe to see Emmy, Easter 2017,” Bode, 45, wrote. “I love my little princesses.”
Bode and Morgan, a former pro volleyball player, are also parents of four sons, twin boys, Asher and Aksel, 3, Easton, 4, and Nash, 7. Bode is dad to Nate, 9, and and daughter Dace, 14, from previous relationships.
Since Emmy’s tragic death, Bode and Morgan have devoted themselves to teaching their children to swim as early as possible.
The couple are advocates for Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) self-rescue instruction.
“It really teaches them awareness of what water is,” Miller said during an appearance on TODAY in 2020. “By the end of an ISR session, they are able to fall in the water, turn over and float. And they understand how to save themselves in any situation.”
Morgan noted that some moms and dads find the ISR method difficult to watch.
“I have so many parents when, in the first couple days, they’re like, ‘How do you listen to them cry?’” she said. “I would give anything to hear Emmy cry. Anything.”
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are nearly 300 drowning deaths of children younger than 5 each year in swimming pools, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.Related video: