Robin Nusbaum grew accustomed to receiving spur-of-the-moment texts from Ryan Miller during his tenure in Buffalo. Nusbaum coordinated events for the Courage of Carly Fund (then known as Carly's Club), the pediatric program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Miller, at the time as much a household name as any in Western New York, would text Nusbaum on the occasional day off and ask to come visit the hospital. The relationship worked both ways. Nusbaum could reach out to Miller for any of Carly's Club's weekly events to gauge his availability.
"He never told me this, but I think he always felt bad if he couldn't do it," Nusbaum said. "He felt so upset when he had a conflict or couldn't provide when we may have said, 'Oh, we've got so and so here on this day,' and he couldn't make it to the hospital. I think he felt really bad.
"He wanted to be there all the time if he could have been."
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The former Sabres goaltender developed close relationships with patients and families in WNY
© Bill Wippert