“Mighty” Miller Hines is a brave, compassionate 12-year-old who loves soccer, history and OU football. Like many kids his age, Miller was looking forward to spending the rest of his summer at camp with his friends. However, that all changed one evening in June when he woke up with pain in his knee.
“He’s not a crier or a complainer. He is a tough kid, so that didn’t really settle well with me,” said Miller’s mom, Miranda Hines.
After a trip to the doctor, Miller’s mom was told his white blood cell count was over 100,000. A WBC that high only meant one thing to Miranda: “Miller’s cancer is back.”
In fall 2019, Miller was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare and aggressive cancer that starts in the bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant from an international donor saved Miller’s life and thankfully, he was able to go home in February 2020.
Now Miller is fighting for his life all over again. Just weeks ago, he was taken by emergency medical flight from OU Children’s to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, where he spent two nights in the intensive care unit. His mom said Miller will require a second bone marrow transplant.
“It’s brutal, but we’re staying as positive as we can. He’s already received several blood transfusions, and he’s received quite a few bags of platelets. This will continue throughout all his treatment,” Miranda said.
Miller and his family are thankful for generous blood donors, like those at Our Blood Institute, who make it possible for patients like him to receive treatment. But with donations at a historic low, the lives of patients like Miller hang in the balance.
“Miller is a lover of life. He has the most amazing spirit about him and the biggest heart. We have hope, but he would not be alive without blood and platelets,” Miranda said. “I truly believe that God’s not done with him yet, and we’re not either. We want more time. We want to give him his childhood back again.”
If you would like to help patients like Miller, please consider scheduling your next blood donation today. You can do so by clicking the button below or by calling 877-340-8777.
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