WKU News

A WKU sophomore who overcame childhood kidney cancer is following her dream of becoming a nurse.

She’s also using her experience to help raise money for the hospital that played such a big part in her health journey. WKU’s Amy Bingham has the story in the View from the Hill.

“I don’t have many memories of that because I was so little and your brain likes to block things out like that.”

Liv Miller of Beaver Dam is talking about her battle with kidney cancer when she was just 3 years old.

“They diagnosed me with stage three bilateral angioplastic Wilms tumor.”

“It’s normally encompassed in the kidney entirely, never inside but it attached and wrapped around organs.”

She sought treatment at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville.

“Inpatient chemo for nine months, nine surgeries, nine rounds of radiation. I was in the hospital a lot.”

It was during that time she realized she wanted to go into the medical field.

“My favorite nurse actually had cancer himself when he was a kid and it gave us hope to see someone who had gone through so much.”

Now Liv wants to offer that same hope.

She begins nursing school at WKU next month.

She’s been a fighter and a wonderful outgoing encouraging young lady. She’s certainly come a long way and I’m just so thrilled she wants to go into nursing.”

Since 2015, Dance Big Red has raised more than $400,000 for Norton Children’s Hospital. Liv now serves on the executive committee for the fundraiser that gives back to the same hospital where she was treated.

“I was on the Family Relations Committee last year and I was like OK, I want to do more because I have such a story that can make people want to come dance and make the kids money.”

For the first time in 2022, WKU’s 8th annual Dance Big Red benefiting Norton Children’s Hospital will be held at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. It’s scheduled for April 1 from 6 p.m. until midnight.