We’re sitting on the deck of Krankies Coffee watching Errol Clifford Milner hide his eyes behind a tiny hand. It’s two days before the handsome 3-year-old’s third heart surgery.

“Where’s Errol? Where’s Errol?” his father, Jonathan Milner, croons while Errol’s smile cascades into precious peek-a-boo-inspired giggles.

As Milner tells me more about the diagnosis — pulmonary artesia, mental retardation, and other related medical conditions — he can’t help but point out the blessing in all of this: “Errol has no idea.”
When it comes to understanding the magnitude of his medical procedures, Errol is certainly in the minority. Just ask the dozens of caring community members coming together this summer to raise money for the family’s medical expenses.

One such warm heart is Eddie Ingle, a neighbor of Milner and his wife, Cary Clifford. Touched by the Clifford-Milner family’s story, Ingle assembled a group of Washington Park neighbors last winter. Since then, Team Errol has coordinated a number of events — from lemonade stands to heart-themed days at the park — to raise awareness and funds.

Their work culminates on September 19 with the Seeds of Love for Errol dinner, featuring food locally grown and prepared by area chefs, North Carolina wine tastings, live musical entertainment, and a raffle.
“We wanted to combine the ideas of growing your own food and growing it for a purpose,” Ingle explains, noting that a majority of the vegetables for the meal will come from Washington Park home gardens. “We’re getting back to the roots of community, of coming together for a special cause.”

Moved by this story of neighbors helping neighbors, students from the adjacent UNCSA are creating a documentary about the Seeds of Love for Errol project — an endeavor that Milner says will hopefully inspire other communities to rally around each other.

“Errol is not what we expected him to be, but he’s so much more,” he promises. “Just look at how this little guy can bring people together.”