COMMUNITY RALLIES TO HELP CANCER PATIENT AND FAMILY.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Greg Miller, a young father of four, was so overwhelmed when he learned in April that a persistent cough and unexplained itch were symptoms of Hodgkin's disease that he and his wife could not talk about it until the next day.

They were facing thousands of dollars in medical expenses to treat the cancerous lymphoma, and they'd just purchased the house where they had been living for more than a year in this unincorporated area near Simi Valley.

To complicate matters, they didn't have health insurance because as a free-lance musician and producer, Miller, 32, thought it was more economical to pay for doctor visits for his healthy family.

While Miller and his wife, Marisela, grew to accept the diagnosis, it was the support they received from their community - monetarily and spiritually - that gave them more moments of pause.

``It's inspiring, and it's humbling,'' said Miller, while some of his children played at his feet in their living room. ``You have to eventually learn how to accept gifts like that from people. You don't like to be in that position. You like to be on the other end, helping people. It's an adjustment.''

One of those lessons was taught by teachers at Knolls Elementary School - which his eldest daughters attend - who had heard about the family's predicament and took action.

School officials organized a bake sale that eventually drew in more than $1,600 for the family.

Principal Dianne Opp said it was a given that the school community would rally to their aid, although they'd never had a schoolwide effort for one family before.

``It's the community, and the closeness of the community in this school, and a real sense of family here,'' Opp said. ``There has never been a time that I can remember where there has not been a need that, when word got out, that people didn't come forward.''

Marisela Miller said she was touched by the school's efforts.

``When your friends want to help, you think, of course they do,'' she said. ``But when perfect strangers say, what can I do? - that surprised me.''

Other help has come from the family's church, The Shepherd's House, from the Santa Barbara church where Greg Miller's father is a pastor, and from his doctor Daniel Takeda and oncologist Hany Khalil, who have provided their services free when they can.

Miller said his children - Madison, 9; Autumn, 6; Zachary, 4; and Keely, 2 - are coming to understand why their dad has to see the doctor so often but do not fully know what it means to have cancer.

Like many people diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, Miller's prognosis is good. But he will have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation over a period of several months to treat his illness.

The family's worry, they said, was how much the chemotherapy treatments - two per month at a cost of $1,000 a month - will affect Miller's ability to work.

His first treatment last month wiped him out for a full week, but a second treatment last week had little effect on him.

``If it's like that's going to be more of the norm, I'm more inspired by that,'' he said.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color--Ran in Simi Edition only) Greg Miller, a 32-year-old father of four, recently learned he has Hodgkin's disease.

(2) Greg Miller and his wife, Marisela, have three daughters, Keely, 2, left; Madison, 9; and Autumn, 6; and a son, Zachary, 4.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News