Stetson’s Divine Miracle

Divine MylesDivine Miracle Myles is his given name, and he most certainly earned it.

He earned it because he wasn’t supposed to live. His mother’s pregnancy was wrought with complications. Doctors were so certain he was going to be stillborn they almost threw him away after he was delivered. But the Stetson freshman – and a higher power – had other ideas.

Myles’ mother, Tonya, was 20 years old when she was pregnant with Divine. It was a difficult pregnancy, and Tonya was told by her physicians her son would likely be stillborn. Their tests indicated she wouldn’t carry him to full term. They said Divine didn’t have a nose or a mouth, that his eyes, lungs and heart weren’t developed. Doctors also cautioned that if he survived, he would be mentally retarded, without any motor skills of any kind, and he would be dependent upon his family for the rest of his life.

On Feb. 25, 1996, at just 24 weeks, Tonya went into labor. Divine was delivered via C-section and when he was removed from his mother’s womb, Divine stunned them all.

“On the day I was born I was still in the amniotic sac and they were about to dispose of me,” said Myles, “But God intervened and I kicked the bag open and began crying and screaming. When I was born I was whole. I was a healthy baby.”

Shocked at what they were seeing, nurses immediately asked the doctor to place a breathing tube in the newborn. But the delivery doctor resisted and instead told nurses to check Divine’s Apgar score, a procedure used to assess the health of a newborn child. Divine tested at the top of the chart.

Despite what his family called a miracle birth, doctors believed Divine still had a long road of recovery ahead of him. They insisted he be placed into a series of courses and classes designed to stimulate him both physically and mentally. For three years, Divine attended those classes until his mother decided he didn’t need them anymore.

“I was 2 or 3 years old when I was in those classes, and I was ahead of all of the other kids,” he said. “The doctors kept telling her I needed to go to the classes. But my mom said I was fine and she stopped taking me. She continued to work with me at home. The only effect I’ve had from any of this is that I had stiff bones as a child but I grew out of that.”

It isn’t hard to imagine that the series of events immediately before and after his birth have had a profound impact on Divine. A deeply religious young man, Divine believes the faith that he and his family hold so dear had a lot to do with not only his initial survival, but how he’s thrived as well.

“We talk about it a lot because it’s a big testimony in my life,” he said. “My mom reminds me every so often how blessed I am, and that God has a purpose for me and has great things in store for me. That’s why my middle name is Miracle. No man on Earth could get me through this. It was all God.”

Myles went on to lead a perfectly normal childhood and developed into one of Alabama’s top prep players at Blount High School, helping lead the Leopards to a 27-4 record and runner-up finish in the 2014 Alabama 6A state tournament. With the Hatters, Myles has started all but one game and ranks among Atlantic Sun Conference leaders in assists while also checking in as Stetson’s second-leading scorer.

And while every student-athlete has their share of challenges, Myles isn’t likely to be fazed by a hostile crowd or a larger opponent. He’s already faced down the biggest challenge of his life… and it’s a Miracle he came out on top.

by Cris Belvin