Friends of the Mills Family

A Personal Update From Steven — Gratitude, Hope, and What Comes Next I want to take a moment to talk with you, not just about my health, but about what your kindness has meant to my family and what is happening behind the scenes. So much has happened over these past few months, and while millions of people have now heard my story, the reality is that I am still here, still undergoing dialysis, still searching for a compatible kidney, and still believing that my story is far from finished. First, thank you. Those two words don't begin to express what I feel toward Joshua Liljenquist and every person who has donated, prayed, shared, or reached out. Your generosity helped us pay an enormous medical bill that had been hanging over our family. That is something tangible and life-changing, and I never want anyone to wonder whether their contribution made a difference. It absolutely did. But I also want to be transparent about something. Paying one enormous medical bill doesn't mean the medical crisis is over. Dialysis continues every day. So do the deductibles, medications, supplies, appointments, travel expenses, and the ordinary costs of keeping a household going. We've made tremendous progress financially because of you, but the road ahead remains difficult. There are also some important developments. Today, I recorded my second appearance on The TJ Show, scheduled to air tomorrow morning, October 28. TJ has been incredibly gracious in giving me another opportunity to tell my story. We talked about my ongoing medical challenges, the financial realities of this journey, and my continued search for that extraordinarily difficult kidney match. We also discussed my public appeals to Robin Roberts, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, MrBeast, Joe Rogan, MD Motivator, Bob Iger, Josh D'Amaro, and others. I'm not asking these people to solve my medical problems or write me a check. I'm asking them to use their extraordinary platforms to help my story reach the one person who might be compatible with me. And there is another major step ahead. In November and December, I am preparing to pursue additional transplant evaluations at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and NYU Langone in New York City. These visits represent opportunities to explore more transplant possibilities, but they also mean substantial expenses for airfare, hotels, transportation, and coordinating medical care while I'm away. We are working to make those trips possible because I cannot afford to leave reasonable opportunities unexplored. I know many of you have already given generously. Please understand that I don't take a single dollar for granted, and I would never want anyone to give beyond their means. But if you're able to contribute again, or if you're discovering my story for the first time, we still need financial help. Your support allows us to keep confronting the expenses of dialysis while pursuing these next medical opportunities. And if you cannot donate, please share my story. That costs nothing, but it could mean everything. There are days when I am physically exhausted. There are moments when the uncertainty is frightening. I've survived cancer twice, and I never imagined that after those battles, I would be fighting this hard just to find a kidney. But I also never imagined that so many strangers would become part of my extended family. You have reminded me that there is still extraordinary goodness in this world. We have not found my compatible kidney yet. But we have found thousands of reasons not to give up. Please keep praying, sharing, and helping however you can. If you know someone interested in exploring living kidney donation, direct them to https://FindMyOne.org. Millions have seen my story. I'm still looking for one. With all my love and gratitude, Rev. Dr. Steven Mills FindMyOne.org #FindMyOne #DoYouSeeMe #DontLetItStopWithYou #KidneyDonorNeeded #LoveOutLoud

A Personal Update From Steven — Gratitude, Hope, and What Comes Next I want to take a moment to talk with you, not just about my health, but about what your kindness has meant to my family and what is happening behind the scenes. So much has happened over these past few months, and while millions of people have now heard my story, the reality is that I am still here, still undergoing dialysis, still searching for a compatible kidney, and still believing that my story is far from finished. First, thank you. Those two words don't begin to express what I feel toward Joshua Liljenquist and every person who has donated, prayed, shared, or reached out. Your generosity helped us pay an enormous medical bill that had been hanging over our family. That is something tangible and life-changing, and I never want anyone to wonder whether their contribution made a difference. It absolutely did. But I also want to be transparent about something. Paying one enormous medical bill doesn't mean the medical crisis is over. Dialysis continues every day. So do the deductibles, medications, supplies, appointments, travel expenses, and the ordinary costs of keeping a household going. We've made tremendous progress financially because of you, but the road ahead remains difficult. There are also some important developments. Today, I recorded my second appearance on The TJ Show, scheduled to air tomorrow morning, October 28. TJ has been incredibly gracious in giving me another opportunity to tell my story. We talked about my ongoing medical challenges, the financial realities of this journey, and my continued search for that extraordinarily difficult kidney match. We also discussed my public appeals to Robin Roberts, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, MrBeast, Joe Rogan, MD Motivator, Bob Iger, Josh D'Amaro, and others. I'm not asking these people to solve my medical problems or write me a check. I'm asking them to use their extraordinary platforms to help my story reach the one person who might be compatible with me. And there is another major step ahead. In November and December, I am preparing to pursue additional transplant evaluations at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and NYU Langone in New York City. These visits represent opportunities to explore more transplant possibilities, but they also mean substantial expenses for airfare, hotels, transportation, and coordinating medical care while I'm away. We are working to make those trips possible because I cannot afford to leave reasonable opportunities unexplored. I know many of you have already given generously. Please understand that I don't take a single dollar for granted, and I would never want anyone to give beyond their means. But if you're able to contribute again, or if you're discovering my story for the first time, we still need financial help. Your support allows us to keep confronting the expenses of dialysis while pursuing these next medical opportunities. And if you cannot donate, please share my story. That costs nothing, but it could mean everything. There are days when I am physically exhausted. There are moments when the uncertainty is frightening. I've survived cancer twice, and I never imagined that after those battles, I would be fighting this hard just to find a kidney. But I also never imagined that so many strangers would become part of my extended family. You have reminded me that there is still extraordinary goodness in this world. We have not found my compatible kidney yet. But we have found thousands of reasons not to give up. Please keep praying, sharing, and helping however you can. If you know someone interested in exploring living kidney donation, direct them to https://FindMyOne.org. Millions have seen my story. I'm still looking for one. With all my love and gratitude, Rev. Dr. Steven Mills FindMyOne.org #FindMyOne #DoYouSeeMe #DontLetItStopWithYou #KidneyDonorNeeded #LoveOutLoud

Your Donations Have Made a Difference. Now I Need Your Help With What Comes Next. I want to take a moment to speak directly to everyone who has donated, shared my story, prayed for me, or encouraged me through this journey. You have shown me extraordinary kindness, and I don't ever want that kindness to be mistaken for something I take for granted. Every contribution has represented someone's decision to help another human being, and I am deeply grateful. But today, I want to move beyond simply telling you how difficult this journey has been. I want to explain what your generosity has accomplished, where things stand financially, and why I still need your help. First, your donations have already helped pay a substantial hospital bill. That is not a small accomplishment. It is a very real financial burden that your generosity helped me address, and I want you to understand that your gifts have been put to meaningful use. But here is the part of this journey that can be difficult to see from the outside: Paying a hospital bill does not mean the medical expenses have stopped. And raising money does not mean that money is still sitting in an account waiting to be spent. I am still living with end-stage kidney failure. I still depend on dialysis to survive. I still face ongoing medical expenses and the everyday costs of living while trying to find an exceptionally rare compatible kidney donor. And now, another important chapter is approaching. In November and December, I will be traveling for transplant-related appointments at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and NYU in New York. These visits represent additional opportunities to pursue medical expertise and explore possibilities in my search for a kidney. They also come with substantial expenses. Airfare, lodging, transportation, meals, and other travel-related costs add up quickly, particularly when you're already managing a serious medical condition and limited financial resources. I want to pursue every reasonable opportunity available to me. I do not want the cost of getting to an appointment to become the reason I cannot explore a potential path forward. This is why I am asking for your continued financial support. If you have donated before, thank you. You have already made a difference, and I hope you will consider helping again if you are financially able. If you have been following my story but haven't contributed, I would be grateful if you would consider making a donation today. Whether it is $5, $10, $25, $50, or another amount, every gift helps address the costs of treatment, travel, and day-to-day survival. I also want to be clear about something important: I am not sitting still waiting for someone to rescue me. I am actively pursuing transplant opportunities, reaching out to medical professionals, expanding my donor search, and asking people with larger platforms to help bring awareness to this situation. I am doing my part. I am asking for your help in making sure I can continue doing it. The money raised so far has mattered. The hospital bill it helped pay mattered. The medical care it has helped make possible matters. And the next appointments matter, too. My goal is not simply to survive another day of dialysis. My goal is to find a compatible kidney, receive a successful transplant, and return to living without this constant medical and financial uncertainty. I believe that future is worth fighting for. So today, I am asking you to do three things: please consider making a donation, share this fundraiser with someone who may be able to help, and continue spreading the word about my search for a living kidney donor. You can learn more about my donor search at https://FindMyOne.org. I know everyone has bills, responsibilities, and challenges of their own. Please never give beyond what you can reasonably afford. But if you have the ability to help, I am asking you to act today rather than assuming someone else will. I have been blessed by an extraordinary community of people who have already helped me come this far. I am grateful for every single one of you. Your donations helped me get through what was behind me. Now I am asking you to help me reach what is ahead of me. With love, gratitude, and determination, Rev. Dr. Steven Mills DON'T LET IT STOP WITH YOU.

Your Donations Have Made a Difference. Now I Need Your Help With What Comes Next. I want to take a moment to speak directly to everyone who has donated, shared my story, prayed for me, or encouraged me through this journey. You have shown me extraordinary kindness, and I don't ever want that kindness to be mistaken for something I take for granted. Every contribution has represented someone's decision to help another human being, and I am deeply grateful. But today, I want to move beyond simply telling you how difficult this journey has been. I want to explain what your generosity has accomplished, where things stand financially, and why I still need your help. First, your donations have already helped pay a substantial hospital bill. That is not a small accomplishment. It is a very real financial burden that your generosity helped me address, and I want you to understand that your gifts have been put to meaningful use. But here is the part of this journey that can be difficult to see from the outside: Paying a hospital bill does not mean the medical expenses have stopped. And raising money does not mean that money is still sitting in an account waiting to be spent. I am still living with end-stage kidney failure. I still depend on dialysis to survive. I still face ongoing medical expenses and the everyday costs of living while trying to find an exceptionally rare compatible kidney donor. And now, another important chapter is approaching. In November and December, I will be traveling for transplant-related appointments at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and NYU in New York. These visits represent additional opportunities to pursue medical expertise and explore possibilities in my search for a kidney. They also come with substantial expenses. Airfare, lodging, transportation, meals, and other travel-related costs add up quickly, particularly when you're already managing a serious medical condition and limited financial resources. I want to pursue every reasonable opportunity available to me. I do not want the cost of getting to an appointment to become the reason I cannot explore a potential path forward. This is why I am asking for your continued financial support. If you have donated before, thank you. You have already made a difference, and I hope you will consider helping again if you are financially able. If you have been following my story but haven't contributed, I would be grateful if you would consider making a donation today. Whether it is $5, $10, $25, $50, or another amount, every gift helps address the costs of treatment, travel, and day-to-day survival. I also want to be clear about something important: I am not sitting still waiting for someone to rescue me. I am actively pursuing transplant opportunities, reaching out to medical professionals, expanding my donor search, and asking people with larger platforms to help bring awareness to this situation. I am doing my part. I am asking for your help in making sure I can continue doing it. The money raised so far has mattered. The hospital bill it helped pay mattered. The medical care it has helped make possible matters. And the next appointments matter, too. My goal is not simply to survive another day of dialysis. My goal is to find a compatible kidney, receive a successful transplant, and return to living without this constant medical and financial uncertainty. I believe that future is worth fighting for. So today, I am asking you to do three things: please consider making a donation, share this fundraiser with someone who may be able to help, and continue spreading the word about my search for a living kidney donor. You can learn more about my donor search at https://FindMyOne.org. I know everyone has bills, responsibilities, and challenges of their own. Please never give beyond what you can reasonably afford. But if you have the ability to help, I am asking you to act today rather than assuming someone else will. I have been blessed by an extraordinary community of people who have already helped me come this far. I am grateful for every single one of you. Your donations helped me get through what was behind me. Now I am asking you to help me reach what is ahead of me. With love, gratitude, and determination, Rev. Dr. Steven Mills DON'T LET IT STOP WITH YOU.

A Bridge to New York & Los Angeles: Finding My 1-in-a-Million Kidney Match I am writing this to you directly from the heart, because time is not on my side. As the holidays approach, I am facing the most critical, high-stakes chapter of this entire fight. My medical team is taking aggressive action to expand my search nationwide: I am traveling to both NYU Langone in New York and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles for medical workups to get listed on their transplant registries. Getting onto these world-renowned transplant lists dramatically increases my odds of finding my 1-in-a-million Type O+ match. But traveling across the country while on daily dialysis—funding airfare, lodging, local transportation, and specialized pre-transplant workups—comes at a staggering, immediate out-of-pocket cost. I just need a bridge right now. A bridge to cover the urgent travel expenses for NYU and Cedars-Sinai. A bridge to keep the lights on, the gas tank full, and our daily household survival secured while I fight through these critical appointments. Because of your grace and past support, we wiped out a massive medical bill that threatened to crush us. Words cannot describe the relief that brought. But the reality is stark: I will be on dialysis longer than the funds we’ve raised can stretch, and these upcoming travel demands are hitting us immediately. I cannot pull back now. I have survived two cancers and a bone marrow transplant. I did not come this far, fight this hard, or hold onto faith this long to let financial exhaustion stop me at the finish line. How You Can Save My Life Today: Donate a Kidney or Donate a Dollar: If you can donate financially, please give $1, $5, $20, or whatever your heart leads you to give today to help cover these NYU and Cedars-Sinai travel costs. Every single dollar is a plank in this bridge. Get Tested to Be My Match: Visit FindMyOne.org to learn how fast and simple it is to see if you could be my Type O+ living donor match. Share This Update Right Now: Do not just read this and scroll past. Copy the link to FindMyOne.org and post it on your wall, text it to your family, or share it with your church. The person holding my matching kidney might be one share away. Please help me cross this bridge. Help me get to New York, get to Los Angeles, and make it home to the people who need me. With urgent faith and tears of gratitude, Steve FindMyOne.org

A Bridge to New York & Los Angeles: Finding My 1-in-a-Million Kidney Match I am writing this to you directly from the heart, because time is not on my side. As the holidays approach, I am facing the most critical, high-stakes chapter of this entire fight. My medical team is taking aggressive action to expand my search nationwide: I am traveling to both NYU Langone in New York and Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles for medical workups to get listed on their transplant registries. Getting onto these world-renowned transplant lists dramatically increases my odds of finding my 1-in-a-million Type O+ match. But traveling across the country while on daily dialysis—funding airfare, lodging, local transportation, and specialized pre-transplant workups—comes at a staggering, immediate out-of-pocket cost. I just need a bridge right now. A bridge to cover the urgent travel expenses for NYU and Cedars-Sinai. A bridge to keep the lights on, the gas tank full, and our daily household survival secured while I fight through these critical appointments. Because of your grace and past support, we wiped out a massive medical bill that threatened to crush us. Words cannot describe the relief that brought. But the reality is stark: I will be on dialysis longer than the funds we’ve raised can stretch, and these upcoming travel demands are hitting us immediately. I cannot pull back now. I have survived two cancers and a bone marrow transplant. I did not come this far, fight this hard, or hold onto faith this long to let financial exhaustion stop me at the finish line. How You Can Save My Life Today: Donate a Kidney or Donate a Dollar: If you can donate financially, please give $1, $5, $20, or whatever your heart leads you to give today to help cover these NYU and Cedars-Sinai travel costs. Every single dollar is a plank in this bridge. Get Tested to Be My Match: Visit FindMyOne.org to learn how fast and simple it is to see if you could be my Type O+ living donor match. Share This Update Right Now: Do not just read this and scroll past. Copy the link to FindMyOne.org and post it on your wall, text it to your family, or share it with your church. The person holding my matching kidney might be one share away. Please help me cross this bridge. Help me get to New York, get to Los Angeles, and make it home to the people who need me. With urgent faith and tears of gratitude, Steve FindMyOne.org

I AM STILL HERE. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS COSTING ME TO STAY HERE. There is something I need to say today, and I hope you will take a few minutes to read it all the way through. I have spent so much time thanking people, encouraging others, smiling through interviews, and trying to remain positive that I am not sure everyone fully understands what my life looks like when the cameras are gone, the microphones are turned off, and I am sitting at home facing another day of kidney failure. I am grateful beyond words. But I am also exhausted beyond anything I know how to describe. I have survived cancer twice. I survived a bone marrow transplant. I survived treatments that were supposed to give me another chance at life, only to discover years later that those same treatments had contributed to the destruction of my kidneys. Now I depend on dialysis to stay alive. And recently, I learned that my heart has suffered significant damage as well. I want you to understand what that means. This is no longer simply a matter of waiting patiently for a kidney. Every day that passes without a compatible donor is another day my body must endure a disease that is affecting more than one organ. I am extremely highly sensitized, making a compatible kidney exceptionally difficult to find. People have stepped forward. People have asked about donating. People have tried to help. Yet I am still waiting for the match that could change everything. And while I wait, the bills do not wait with me. Dialysis supplies still cost money. Medical expenses continue. There are medications, appointments, transportation costs, and the ordinary responsibilities of keeping a household together. My financial circumstances have changed dramatically because of years of serious illness. Resources that once provided security have been consumed by the cost of surviving. Imagine waking up every morning knowing that the treatment keeping you alive is also a daily reminder of how fragile your future has become. Imagine being physically exhausted before the day even begins, yet still needing to find the energy to work, serve others, make telephone calls, answer messages, and advocate for your own survival. Then imagine having to worry about how you will pay for everything. That is where I am. And I need you to understand something else. I am not afraid of working hard. I am not afraid of fighting. What frightens me is the possibility that I can do everything within my power and still run out of the time, health, or resources needed to keep fighting. Through the extraordinary kindness of Joshua Liljenquist, his team, and thousands of people, my story has traveled farther than I ever imagined. Broadcasters have interviewed me. News organizations have covered my journey. People I have never met have prayed for me, contributed to this fundraiser, and reminded me that compassion still exists in this world. Every single act of kindness matters. Every dollar has helped. Every share has carried my story into another home. But I want to be transparent about something that can easily get lost when people see a fundraiser's total. Money raised is not the same as money left. And money raised is not the same as a life saved. Medical bills and everyday expenses continue to arrive. Dialysis does not become less expensive because a video goes viral. The cost of staying alive does not stop because a television station airs a story. I am still here, still undergoing treatment, still searching for a compatible kidney, and still trying to hold together the financial pieces of a life that serious illness has repeatedly interrupted. I have devoted much of my life to ministry, broadcasting, and being present for other people. I have prayed with families, stood beside people in difficult moments, and used my voice to encourage those who felt forgotten. Today, I am asking you to hear that same voice in a different way. I need help. Not because I have stopped fighting, but because fighting this battle alone is no longer financially or physically sustainable. If you have already donated, thank you. I know that some of you have sacrificed to help me, and I do not take that lightly. I would never ask anyone to give money they need for their own necessities. But if you have the ability to contribute today, I am asking you to consider doing so. Whether it is $5, $20, $50, $100, or an amount you are comfortable giving, your contribution helps me manage the continuing costs of treatment and daily life while I search for a donor. If you cannot donate, please share this update with someone who may be able to help. And if you are interested in the possibility of becoming a living kidney donor, please contact the transplant program for accurate information and independent medical evaluation. I am not looking for pity. I am asking for the opportunity to continue living, serving, loving, laughing, and doing the work I believe God has placed before me. I still have sermons to preach. I still have music to play. I still have stories to tell. I still have people to encourage. And I still believe that somewhere there may be a person whose decision to explore living donation could change the course of my life. But faith does not mean pretending that everything is fine. Some days I am hurting. Some days I am scared. Some days I am so tired that simply getting through the day feels like an accomplishment. And there are moments when the financial pressure is almost as overwhelming as the illness itself. That is the part of this journey I need you to see. Not just the smile in a photograph. Not just the pastor behind the pulpit. Not just the broadcaster behind the microphone. The human being behind all of it. I do not know when a compatible kidney will be found. I cannot tell you how much more treatment my body will have to endure. But I can tell you that I am doing everything I know to do to remain here, and I am asking for your help in making that possible. Please do not mistake my determination for an absence of need. And please do not mistake my gratitude for an indication that the crisis is over. It isn't. If this story has touched your heart, I am asking you to turn that compassion into something tangible today. Donate if you can. Share if you cannot. Help my story reach someone who has the ability to make a difference. Because I am still here. And I am doing everything I can to stay here. With all my love and gratitude, Rev. Dr. Steven Mills SUPPORT MY JOURNEY: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-pastor-steven-fight-for-his-life-p74hx LIVING KIDNEY DONOR INFORMATION: https://FindMyOne.org HCA Midwest Health Living Donor Program: https://www.hcamidwest.com/patient-resources/living-donor-program - Steven Mills, 12/23/1977 #DoYouSeeMe #FindMyOne #DontLetItStopWithYou #KidneyTransplant #LivingKidneyDonor #HelpStevenMills