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Paris, Texas, April 2012 – Aubrie Miller is facing a bigger challenge at six weeks old than many of us face in a lifetime. She needs a lifesaving heart transplant, and her family faces tremendous expenses. Next month, volunteers in the Paris community are holding multiple fundraisers to help.
On February 29, her mother learned Aubrie was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy during a routine ultrasound. After she was born on March 14, little Aubrie was immediately transferred to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas for treatment and care. Doctors say a heart transplant is critical to her survival.
Although this is an extremely difficult time for the Millers, they are thankful for family members and friends, who are offering support in so many ways. Aubrie’s family hopes to bring awareness about the urgent need for organ donors, so the lives of so many people can be saved. More than anything, they want to bring their little girl home happy and healthy as soon as possible. But they need your help.
The average heart transplant costs nearly $1 million. Although her health insurance will cover the transplant itself, her family will still face expenses for follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications for the rest of her life. Post-transplant medications can be very costly, and they are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.
Because Aubrie and her family live 150 miles from the hospital, they will incur substantial expenses after she receives her transplant when they travel back for follow-up care and doctors’ appointments. They are thankful for the Ronald McDonald House, which currently allows them to stay very close to the hospital while Aubrie awaits her transplant. The Millers recently moved from Paris to Ft. Towson, Okla. after Aubrie’s mother was hospitalized during her pregnancy and had to stop working.
To overcome these financial challenges, Miller turned to the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) for assistance. NFT is a nonprofit organization that helps transplant patients raise funds to pay for medical expenses.
“It breaks my heart to think about this precious baby fighting for her life, and I’m happy to see the community rallying around the family.” said Kay Horne, NFT fundraising consultant. “At NFT, we’re dedicated to helping Aubrie’s family raise the necessary funds so they can focus on her health without constantly worrying about the mounting medical bills.”
Volunteers are planning three upcoming events to help the Millers with Aubrie’s expenses:
Saturday, May 5: The Aubrie Miller Classic, a volleyball tournament, will be held at 8 a.m. at Chisum High School, 3250 Church St. in Paris. Admission to the event is $1, and a team of 10 can enter to play in the tournament for $100. Concession stands will be available. For more information or to register a team, please contact Shelia Evans at 903-517-8029 or Kelsey Evans at 903-517-8052.
Thursday, May 17: A Blues Jam will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Buffalo Joe’s Pub, 3338 NE Loop 286 in Paris. There is a $5 cover, and various musicians will play blues music. Donations for supplies such as bottled water, toilet paper, breakfast cereals, gift cards and more will also be collected for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. For more information about this event, please contact Karen Boaz at 903-905-9283 or karen.boaz@att.net.
Sunday, May 20: A fish fry will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at Buffalo Joe’s Pub, 3338 NE Loop 286 in Paris. The cost is $10 for a fish dinner, and local artists will be playing live music. For more information about this event, please contact Jennifer Maddox at jenmad903@aol.com.
To make donations in honor of Aubrie, please visit www.transplants.org and click on “Find an NFT Patient” to search for her. If you prefer to mail your contribution, please send your gift to the NFT Texas Transplant Fund, 5350 Poplar Avenue, Suite 430, Memphis, TN 38119. Be sure to write “in honor of Aubrie Miller” in the subject line.
About NFT
NFT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Memphis, Tenn. that has been helping transplant patients overcome financial obstacles since 1983. NFT provides fundraising expertise and advocacy to transplant patients by organizing fundraising campaigns in the patients’ own communities. In the past 29 years, NFT’s fundraising campaigns have generated nearly $60 million to assist patients.
NFT currently assists more than 2,500 transplant candidates and recipients nationwide. For more information about NFT, please call 800-489-3863 or visit www.transplants.org.
Emily Joyner
Online Marketing Manager
National Foundation for Transplants
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