'No way': Miller prefers chicken schnity and burgers over hospital food
Hospital food made the headlines on Tuesday when NSW Health Minister Ryan Park apologised to a patient who received a meagre meal at John Hunter Children's Hospital.
"I acknowledge that the meal in the photograph does not reflect NSW Health or the community's expectations and I apologise to the patient who received this meal," Mr Park said.
The Daily Telegraph had reported that the meal consisted of a piece of chicken, whole potato and tub of yoghurt.
A family member of the patient was concerned about having to "go out and buy food to supplement a meal".
Miller, 8, has spent time in John Hunter Children's Hospital to be treated for Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA).
"To be fair, I can't say we've ever had the in-room dining there. He nails the chicken schnities from the cafeteria," dad Matt Townsend said.
"They cost a fortune, but he'd always brush aside the hospital food."
It's been 104 days since Miller had a bone marrow transplant at the Children's Hospital at Randwick.
"They were giving him lamb kofta every night," Matt said with a laugh.
"Luckily, there was a KFC and Subway up the road. He nailed that. There was no way he'd eat the kofta.
"I think it's the same as any hospital food. It's not made with love. It's made with whatever they can find that day."
Matt found it "a bit weird" to have lamb kofta at a children's hospital.
Hospital food aside, Matt said Miller was "healthy, happy and back home".
His bone marrow donor was his older brother, Mack.
"The stem cells were going well, but he had graft-versus-host disease. That's when the body rejects the donor cells," Matt said.
"It was treated with steroids and he's only just come off them."
On Monday, tests showed his "bloods have dropped a little bit".
"Hopefully it's a little speed bump. Fingers crossed, it's just the steroids."
Miller has restrictions on being around people because he has no immune system after the chemotherapy treatment needed for the transplant.
"He's allowed to play footy at the park with five to 10 of his mates. He's very happy with that," Matt said.
"We can't be in crowds of people until his immune system grows. They say that's about six months after transplant - hopefully soon."
When NSW Health Minister Ryan Park was at John Hunter in March, he met Miller at a topping-out ceremony for a new seven-storey building for the hospital's expansion.
Since then, the minister has kept tabs on Miller's health.
"Ryan Park came and visited him a couple of times in Sydney," Matt said.
"I thought he'd bring cameras, but he didn't. He just came in and said g'day and kept in contact with us to see how he was going. I thought that was pretty nice."
The Newcastle Herald reported in December that Miller's footy mates, from Stockton Sharks Junior Rugby League Club, shaved their heads to be like him.
Miller Townsend isn't a fan of hospital food, but he likes the "chicken schnity" at John Hunter Hospital's cafeteria.
Hospital food made the headlines on Tuesday when NSW Health Minister Ryan Park apologised to a patient who received a meagre meal at John Hunter Children's Hospital.
"I acknowledge that the meal in the photograph does not reflect NSW Health or the community's expectations and I apologise to the patient who received this meal," Mr Park said.
The Daily Telegraph had reported that the meal consisted of a piece of chicken, whole potato and tub of yoghurt.
A family member of the patient was concerned about having to "go out and buy food to supplement a meal".
Miller, 8, has spent time in John Hunter Children's Hospital to be treated for Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA).
"To be fair, I can't say we've ever had the in-room dining there. He nails the chicken schnities from the cafeteria," dad Matt Townsend said.
"They cost a fortune, but he'd always brush aside the hospital food."
It's been 104 days since Miller had a bone marrow transplant at the Children's Hospital at Randwick.
"They were giving him lamb kofta every night," Matt said with a laugh.
"Luckily, there was a KFC and Subway up the road. He nailed that. There was no way he'd eat the kofta.
"I think it's the same as any hospital food. It's not made with love. It's made with whatever they can find that day."
Matt found it "a bit weird" to have lamb kofta at a children's hospital.
Hospital food aside, Matt said Miller was "healthy, happy and back home".
His bone marrow donor was his older brother, Mack.
"The stem cells were going well, but he had graft-versus-host disease. That's when the body rejects the donor cells," Matt said.
"It was treated with steroids and he's only just come off them."
On Monday, tests showed his "bloods have dropped a little bit".
"Hopefully it's a little speed bump. Fingers crossed, it's just the steroids."
Miller has restrictions on being around people because he has no immune system after the chemotherapy treatment needed for the transplant.
"He's allowed to play footy at the park with five to 10 of his mates. He's very happy with that," Matt said.
"We can't be in crowds of people until his immune system grows. They say that's about six months after transplant - hopefully soon."
When NSW Health Minister Ryan Park was at John Hunter in March, he met Miller at a topping-out ceremony for a new seven-storey building for the hospital's expansion.
Since then, the minister has kept tabs on Miller's health.
"Ryan Park came and visited him a couple of times in Sydney," Matt said.
"I thought he'd bring cameras, but he didn't. He just came in and said g'day and kept in contact with us to see how he was going. I thought that was pretty nice."
The Newcastle Herald reported in December that Miller's footy mates, from Stockton Sharks Junior Rugby League Club, shaved their heads to be like him.
Miller Townsend isn't a fan of hospital food, but he likes the "chicken schnity" at John Hunter Hospital's cafeteria.
Hospital food made the headlines on Tuesday when NSW Health Minister Ryan Park apologised to a patient who received a meagre meal at John Hunter Children's Hospital.
"I acknowledge that the meal in the photograph does not reflect NSW Health or the community's expectations and I apologise to the patient who received this meal," Mr Park said.
The Daily Telegraph had reported that the meal consisted of a piece of chicken, whole potato and tub of yoghurt.
A family member of the patient was concerned about having to "go out and buy food to supplement a meal".
Miller, 8, has spent time in John Hunter Children's Hospital to be treated for Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA).
"To be fair, I can't say we've ever had the in-room dining there. He nails the chicken schnities from the cafeteria," dad Matt Townsend said.
"They cost a fortune, but he'd always brush aside the hospital food."
It's been 104 days since Miller had a bone marrow transplant at the Children's Hospital at Randwick.
"They were giving him lamb kofta every night," Matt said with a laugh.
"Luckily, there was a KFC and Subway up the road. He nailed that. There was no way he'd eat the kofta.
"I think it's the same as any hospital food. It's not made with love. It's made with whatever they can find that day."
Matt found it "a bit weird" to have lamb kofta at a children's hospital.
Hospital food aside, Matt said Miller was "healthy, happy and back home".
His bone marrow donor was his older brother, Mack.
"The stem cells were going well, but he had graft-versus-host disease. That's when the body rejects the donor cells," Matt said.
"It was treated with steroids and he's only just come off them."
On Monday, tests showed his "bloods have dropped a little bit".
"Hopefully it's a little speed bump. Fingers crossed, it's just the steroids."
Miller has restrictions on being around people because he has no immune system after the chemotherapy treatment needed for the transplant.
"He's allowed to play footy at the park with five to 10 of his mates. He's very happy with that," Matt said.
"We can't be in crowds of people until his immune system grows. They say that's about six months after transplant - hopefully soon."
When NSW Health Minister Ryan Park was at John Hunter in March, he met Miller at a topping-out ceremony for a new seven-storey building for the hospital's expansion.
Since then, the minister has kept tabs on Miller's health.
"Ryan Park came and visited him a couple of times in Sydney," Matt said.
"I thought he'd bring cameras, but he didn't. He just came in and said g'day and kept in contact with us to see how he was going. I thought that was pretty nice."
The Newcastle Herald reported in December that Miller's footy mates, from Stockton Sharks Junior Rugby League Club, shaved their heads to be like him.
Miller Townsend isn't a fan of hospital food, but he likes the "chicken schnity" at John Hunter Hospital's cafeteria.
Hospital food made the headlines on Tuesday when NSW Health Minister Ryan Park apologised to a patient who received a meagre meal at John Hunter Children's Hospital.
"I acknowledge that the meal in the photograph does not reflect NSW Health or the community's expectations and I apologise to the patient who received this meal," Mr Park said.
The Daily Telegraph had reported that the meal consisted of a piece of chicken, whole potato and tub of yoghurt.
A family member of the patient was concerned about having to "go out and buy food to supplement a meal".
Miller, 8, has spent time in John Hunter Children's Hospital to be treated for Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA).
"To be fair, I can't say we've ever had the in-room dining there. He nails the chicken schnities from the cafeteria," dad Matt Townsend said.
"They cost a fortune, but he'd always brush aside the hospital food."
It's been 104 days since Miller had a bone marrow transplant at the Children's Hospital at Randwick.
"They were giving him lamb kofta every night," Matt said with a laugh.
"Luckily, there was a KFC and Subway up the road. He nailed that. There was no way he'd eat the kofta.
"I think it's the same as any hospital food. It's not made with love. It's made with whatever they can find that day."
Matt found it "a bit weird" to have lamb kofta at a children's hospital.
Hospital food aside, Matt said Miller was "healthy, happy and back home".
His bone marrow donor was his older brother, Mack.
"The stem cells were going well, but he had graft-versus-host disease. That's when the body rejects the donor cells," Matt said.
"It was treated with steroids and he's only just come off them."
On Monday, tests showed his "bloods have dropped a little bit".
"Hopefully it's a little speed bump. Fingers crossed, it's just the steroids."
Miller has restrictions on being around people because he has no immune system after the chemotherapy treatment needed for the transplant.
"He's allowed to play footy at the park with five to 10 of his mates. He's very happy with that," Matt said.
"We can't be in crowds of people until his immune system grows. They say that's about six months after transplant - hopefully soon."
When NSW Health Minister Ryan Park was at John Hunter in March, he met Miller at a topping-out ceremony for a new seven-storey building for the hospital's expansion.
Since then, the minister has kept tabs on Miller's health.
"Ryan Park came and visited him a couple of times in Sydney," Matt said.
"I thought he'd bring cameras, but he didn't. He just came in and said g'day and kept in contact with us to see how he was going. I thought that was pretty nice."
The Newcastle Herald reported in December that Miller's footy mates, from Stockton Sharks Junior Rugby League Club, shaved their heads to be like him.
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