Hope & Help for Chris Miller

My brother, Chris Miller, age 55, has always been the fun guy. Positive. Happy. Fun to be around. Great at sports or with a guitar... or drums...or a trumpet. He propped up hoola-hoops, set them on fire, over plastic swimming pools, and jumped his bicycle through the hoops. He organized neighborhood haunted houses in our barn as a teenager. He had the best tape and record collection. Plus, the coolest friends that I trailed around after... along with the nicest girlfriends, who somehow never hated him even when they were ex-girlfriends.

He adores his dogs, Lucy and Lucky... just like he did his pets before them, Lou, Jordan, Casey, and cat, AJ. Not to mention all of our childhood pets.

He loves his family and friends and people. He really just loves people.

He always has a smile that beams and shines through with a sparkle in his eyes and can make someone happy-laugh no matter their mood.

On February 20th, a trip to the ER for some stomach pain and an XRay diagnosis of kidney stones, changed drastically when Chris was told he had pancreatic cancer that had spread to his liver.

Since then we have had a direct ER admission to University of Chicago with a bad liver infection and days of some of the best docs in the world helping him to at least be in less pain (He said he was 15 on a scale of 1-10 when we arrived at Chicago). Some stents in the liver and pancreas, biopsies, antibiotics, and lots of other meds and he is stable now and moving towards some chemo and possible immunotherapy options.

What is it:

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of pancreas is a subtype of ductal carcinoma, a non-endocrine part. Primary pancreatic SCC is a rare malignancy, accounting for 0.5–2% of all malignant pancreatic tumors and is considered as an aggressive subtype with a poor prognosis.

Chris, like always, is being positive. While looking so sick at times... He is still kind and jokes with nurses and doctors. He worries about me taking him places. He worries about our sister and mom. He worries about Lucy and Lucky. He said, while hospitalized at University of Chicago, "I just worry more about others that are dealing with helping me than I do myself".

He hates me or others paying for things. He says he doesn't want anything others work so hard for. He does not Facebook or even internet much. He has no home wifi. But the truth is that beyond the worry and fight against a terrible cancer, he is now worried financially.

He is 55. The retirement savings is small. The house has a mortgage. He owes a bit on his car. He just bought a mower he owes on. He misses his job at LaPorte City Park Department but cannot work with weakness and upcoming chemotherapy. His paid vacation time is about out. Gracious donations from some city employees of their paid time off have helped him to feel some financial relief and encouragement from coworkers.

My hope is that some GoFundMe help and the show of love, support, and hope that comes with that from friends, family, and people that care will not just help with the financial burdens, but will help him to feel the love, prayers, and people that he cares for are there... behind him, and rooting for him as he faces each day with this devastating diagnosis. Thus giving him a bit more time to focus on enjoying his pets, family, friends, and less time worrying.