Alana Miller: 2025 Riley Champion

Alana Miller had just started kindergarten, moved to a new house and loved playing with her big sister Magnolia. She was 6 years old, happy and a seemingly healthy kid. Jennie Seibert, Alana’s mother, remembers taking the girls to their well-child visit without any concerns to report.

“When they checked Alana’s blood pressure, it was 160/120 which is extremely high. The pediatrician called Riley Hospital for Children right away, and we were rushed there to run tests and get her blood pressure down,” said Jennie. “They found her kidney numbers to be extremely elevated.”

Alana was diagnosed with stage 3 chronic kidney disease, and it progressed quickly. At 8 years old, just two years after her diagnosis, her medical team began discussing a transplant. Her family underwent tests to see if anyone were a match, but unfortunately, there were none.

The Millers began speaking to their friends and church community, asking them to consider being tested. That’s when Chris McLaughlin, pastor of the Millers’ church, turned out to be a match. He jumped at the chance to give Alana a life-saving kidney.

On March 20, 2019, at 9 years old, Alana received her new kidney from Chris at Riley Children’s Health. Her transplant surgeon, William Goggins, M.D., said the kidney was a perfect fit.

Alana knew she wanted to give back to Riley, and before she even left the hospital, she did just that. Alana and her family spoke with several local news outlets to share her story and how her donor and the team at Riley saved her life.

“Due to her chronic kidney disease, Alana needed help from a multitude of specialists including a pediatric nephrologist, transplant surgeon, pathologists, pharmacists, transplant coordinators and more,” said Corina Nailescu, M.D., medical director of pediatric kidney transplantation at Riley Children’s at IU Health. “Such a complex and highly-skilled team can only be found in a large tertiary care center with years of history such as Riley Hospital.”

During her time at Riley before and after her transplant, Alana enjoyed spending time with the Child Life Specialists and doing activities in the Child Life Zone.

“When I was 6 years old and scared, my Child Life Specialist Maggie [Huffman] was my best friend,” Alana remembered. “She was there with me every day and made me feel safe and like I was not alone.”

Today, Alana is a freshman at Center Grove High School in Greenwood and plays on the school’s golf team alongside her sister. Alana loves to edit videos in her free time and hopes to be a cinematographer one day. Every year on March 20, Alana and her organ donor Chris get their families together to celebrate their “kidneyversary,” playing games together and having fun.

“It’s a huge honor to be chosen as a Riley Champion,” said Alana. “Riley is a happy place. They really make it fun. They’ve done so much for me, and I want to encourage other kids who are going through a similar experience that I did when
I was little.”