Help John Miller with his transplant !

Terry Hokanson is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of John Miller.

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Help John Miller and his family through his liver transplant!
In October of 2021, John was diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), a primary type of liver cancer that spreads quickly to other organs. In November and December of 2021, he went through Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) to treat the two cancerous lesions on his liver. Soon after, he was told that his liver was failing and he would need a transplant if he were to survive.

As of February 9, 2022, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) placed John on the OPTN Patient Waiting List. A Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is a prognostic scoring system based on laboratory parameters that predict 3-month mortality due to liver disease. It ranges from 6 to 40, six being less severe and forty being the worst case. As of February 9, 2022, John's MELD score is 23. Alternatively, there is also the option of a living liver donor transplant. Shortly after placement on the national waiting list, one of John’s co-workers has heroically volunteered to be a possible Living Donor. So far, he has passed all of the medical evaluations for transplant, and we are highly optimistic that he will be approved.

During John’s wait for his transplant, he has undergone several procedures such as CT Scans, MRIs, and weekly blood work to watch for the metastasis into other parts of his body. The Radiation treatments have caused some damage to his liver such that it is no longer functioning correctly. As his liver condition worsens, he has developed Ascites, a recurring buildup of fluid in his abdomen causing breathing difficulties, nausea, digestive issues, swelling in the legs and ankles, and fatigue. A remedy for the Ascites is a procedure called Paracentesis, where they use an ultrasound to guide a needle into the abdomen and drain the fluid. In mid-February, John had the first paracentesis procedure, and they withdrew 4 liters of fluid. On the 21st, they drained an additional 3.8 liters of fluid. Imagine carrying two 2-liter bottles around strapped to your abdomen.

John served in the US Navy as a Fire Control Technician from 1985-to 1991. He has since worked as a DOD Contractor in the ACMI/TACTS/TCTS/LATR field since April of 1992. John has worked in Operations, QA, and Instrumentation departments at Volk Field, Langley and Oceana. Currently, John works as an Engineering Technician at the Instrumentation Shop at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach. John has been married to his wife Maureen for 28 years, and they have three children Justin, 24, Lucy, 19, and Sadie, 17. Justin is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He is currently a Computer programmer working for Mantech in Fairfax, VA. Lucy is a current student at VCU majoring in Bio-Medical Engineering. His youngest, Sadie, is a high school senior at Phoebus High School dual-enrolled at Thomas Nelson Community College, which will provide her with an Associates of Science degree upon her graduation. John and Maureen are incredibly proud of their children and what they have accomplished. John’s family has been his strength through the trials and tribulations so far.

The liver transplant will take place at VCU Hospital in Richmond, after which John will be in recovery and not be able to work for three months. For the first month of recovery, John will have to find hotel lodging and meals in the Richmond area for himself and a family member for aftercare, and to be near the hospital in the event of post-op complications. The estimated cost of the liver transplant is well over $500,000, and post-transplant maintenance prescriptions will be up to $40,000 per year for the remainder of his life. We’re asking for donations to help pay John’s portion of the medical bills as well as the many expenses not covered by insurance, such as travel/fuel, hotels, meals and other unexpected costs to him and his family.

Please share this story with as many people as possible, keep John in your thoughts and pray for his recovery, and donate whatever you can to help John and his family!