Roy Phillips & Minla Gabriella at the 2007 Daddy's Little Girl Valentine's Dance  t The Methodist Hospital, Roy L. Phillips Jr. is a manager of radiology. At home and in the eyes of 4-year-old Minla Gabriella he’s Superman.
“I love my daddy. We have a slumber party every Friday night,” says the self-professed lover of all things Barbie. “He takes me to the Galleria. I love (the store) Dylan’s Candy Bar. Oh, yeah. And I love Dora the Explorer.” Sure, Minla loves lots of things but none as much as her daddy. And he knows it. “We have a really close relationship,” he says. “Being here is just another one of those unforgettable moments. Growing up, I said if I had a little girl I would always be there for her and I want to protect her.” Phillips desire to protect his baby girl isn’t just an instinctive one. He reveals that he nearly lost Minla and her mother during childbirth. They were both in ICU, he says. “I want her to know I love her with all my heart and I love her to death.” One of his biggest concerns for his little daughter is her future spouse. “I’m looking at the stock we have out there now and it’s scary,” he says. “I want her to know what to look for in a man. I want her to realize I will always be here for her. I think I love her more than anybody outside of God.” As for her night out with daddy, Minla says she thought the evening was pretty and she loved the music. “My favorite part is the balloons and the cantaloupe,” says the aspiring cheerleader and soccer player. Dad just smiles at her and says, “I want her to have everything in life she deserves.” | 
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