Steven Mills, whose 99.9999% cPRA makes finding a compatible kidney donor extraordinarily difficult, says he discovered a separate fundraising campaign he never created or authorized
GARDEN CITY, Kan. — September 8, 2026 — Steven Mills, a Kansas pastor, broadcaster and two-time cancer survivor currently living with kidney failure, says he has discovered an unauthorized online fundraising campaign using his medical story while he continues an urgent search for a living kidney donor.
The campaign, appearing on OpenhandsAid.org under the title “Let’s Support Stephen’s Journey,” was not created or authorized by Mills.
“My name is Steven, and I want to be absolutely clear: I did not create this campaign, I did not authorize this campaign, and I did not authorize anyone using Openhands Aid to raise money on my behalf,” Mills said. “I am already fighting for my life. I should not also have to investigate who is using my medical story to solicit money.”
Mills is currently dependent on peritoneal dialysis and searching for a living kidney donor after years of cancer treatment contributed to the destruction of his kidney function. His transplant search is especially difficult because his calculated panel reactive antibody, or cPRA, is 99.9999%, meaning his immune system is highly sensitized and finding a compatible donor is extraordinarily rare.
His authorized fundraiser, “Help Pastor Steven Fight for His Life,” was established on GoFundMe by Joshua Liljenquist, who has helped amplify Mills’ kidney search nationally. GoFundMe identifies Liljenquist as the organizer and Mills as the beneficiary.
Mills says the discovery of a second fundraiser raises serious questions about who created the campaign, what information was used to verify it, who is listed as the recipient of any funds and where donations made through that campaign are ultimately directed.
“I am not going to make claims I cannot prove,” Mills said. “What I can say with certainty is that I never authorized this fundraiser. If a platform says it verifies campaigns and recipients, then I want to know who they verified, what documentation they reviewed and who they believe is entitled to receive money raised using my story.”
Mills is asking Openhands Aid to answer several questions publicly, including:
- Who created the campaign using Mills’ medical story?
- What identity or supporting documentation was verified before the campaign was published?
- Who is listed internally as the beneficiary or recipient?
- Has money been collected through the campaign?
- Has any money been disbursed, and if so, to whom?
- What steps will be taken regarding any funds collected through a campaign Mills says he never authorized?
Mills says the situation is particularly troubling because his medical story has already reached millions of people through social media and broadcast coverage as supporters attempt to locate a living kidney donor.
“Every person who sees the wrong campaign may be one person who never reaches the right one,” Mills said. “Every dollar given somewhere else by someone who believes they are helping me may be a dollar I never receive. In a situation where I am literally trying to stay alive long enough to find a kidney, confusion matters.”
Mills emphasized that he is not currently claiming that a specific amount of money has been diverted from his authorized fundraiser. Instead, he is seeking transparency and documentation regarding how the separate campaign was created and whether any donations were collected.
“This is my medical condition, my family, my fight and my life,” Mills said. “I shared deeply personal parts of this journey because I need one person somewhere to see my story and become the kidney donor who can save my life. Sharing my story publicly was never permission for someone else to take control of it or raise money with it without my knowledge.”
AUTHORIZED FUNDRAISER
The authorized fundraiser for Steven Mills is:
Help Pastor Steven Fight for His Life
Organized by Joshua Liljenquist for Steven Mills
LIVING KIDNEY DONOR INFORMATION
Anyone interested in determining whether they may be a potential living kidney donor for Mills should contact the official transplant program:
HCA Midwest Health Living Donor Program
Patient: Steven Mills
Date of Birth: December 23, 1977
Potential donors should work directly with the transplant program. Mills does not personally determine donor eligibility or compatibility.
ABOUT STEVEN MILLS
Steven Mills is a Kansas pastor, longtime radio broadcaster and publisher who has survived multiple cancers and is now living with end-stage kidney failure. He undergoes peritoneal dialysis while searching for an extraordinarily rare compatible living kidney donor. Mills’ cPRA is 99.9999%, placing him among the most highly sensitized transplant candidates and making public awareness of his search critically important.
MEDIA INQUIRIES / INTERVIEW REQUESTS
Steven Mills is available for television, radio, digital and print interviews regarding the unauthorized fundraiser, his kidney search and the broader need for living kidney donation awareness.
Interview opportunities include:
On-camera interview with Steven Mills
Screenshots of the unauthorized fundraising campaign
Documentation of the authorized GoFundMe campaign
Existing television and social media coverage of Mills’ kidney search
Living kidney donor information and transplant program details
EDITOR’S NOTE
Mills is alleging that the Openhands Aid campaign was created and published without his authorization. He is requesting information regarding the campaign’s creation, verification and handling of any funds. He is not alleging a specific amount of financial loss unless and until that information can be independently documented.
#StevenMills #KidneyForSteven #HelpPastorSteven #LivingKidneyDonor #KidneyDonorNeeded #KidneyTransplant #Dialysis #OrganDonation #DonateLife #UnauthorizedFundraiser #FundraisingTransparency #Crowdfunding #ConsumerAlert #PatientAdvocacy #OpenHandsFoundation #OpenHandsAid #OpenHandsAidOrg #OpenHandsAidFoundation #OpenHandsAidDotOrg #KansasNews #GardenCityKS #BreakingNews #InvestigativeNews #MedicalFundraiser #ScamAwareness