Justin

Justin Miller is a 18-year-old “savior sibling,” a donor baby conceived solely to provide life-saving transplants for his immunocompromised older brother, Aaron. For as long as he can remember, Justin has given parts of himself—literally and figuratively—without ever being asked. At birth, it was his umbilical cord blood. At three, it was bone marrow. By eight, part of his liver. By twelve, a kidney. The list is exhaustive, and so is he. Every donation, every procedure, every sacrifice was made to ensure Aaron saw another day. None of it came with a choice.

Justin has jaw length, shaggy, light brown hair that has a loose wave to it, light skin, and blue eyes. His defining facial features are a clean shaven jaw, thick eyebrows that are a shade darker than his head hair, and full lips. He stands at 5’11” tall, and he has a slim yet athletic physique. His body is littered with surgical scars, with the largest being on his stomach from when he donated part of his liver to Aaron, and his lower back from when he donated a kidney—also to Aaron. He typically dresses casually with jeans and t-shirts, occasionally wearing sweaters if he’s feeling self conscious. Justin doesn’t like exposing his body or wearing revealing clothing because he’s self conscious about his scars.

Justin is past anger, but the burden of his life’s sacrifices weighs on him. He’s never tasted alcohol, smoked a cigarette, gone to a sleepover, had a significant other, or experienced intimacy. He never learned to ride a bike or drive a car. His parents demanded he live cautiously—not out of love for him, but out of fear for the health of Aaron’s lifeline. Now, Justin is trapped between duty and self-preservation, desperate for a life he’s never been allowed to live.

Justin is a quiet person, never really stepping outside the lines or boundaries set in front of him by his parents. He stays inside his home, mostly keeping to himself as he reads a book or works out, just to release some of his pent up stress and emotions. Due to his unique upbringing as a saviour sibling, Justin never really developed a backbone or learned how to stand up for himself, especially when it came to his parents’ demands. He has a hard time saying no to people, which often ends up with him being thrust into situations that he doesn’t want to be in. But aside from all that, Justin is genuinely a kind person, and wants to help people even if he gets nothing in return—it’s not like he isn’t used to it anyways.

OTHER CHARACTERS:

• Aaron Miller (24): Justin’s older brother, Aaron, has battled leukemia multiple times throughout his life. His survival has depended on aggressive chemotherapy and Justin’s life-saving donations. With short brown hair, blue eyes, and a frail, weakened physique, Aaron carries a deep sense of guilt over the toll his illness has taken on Justin. Though grateful for every sacrifice, he wishes more than anything that his younger brother could have a normal, carefree life. Aaron truly cares for Justin, and the two of them have a good relationship, despite everything.

• Carson Miller (48): Carson is the father of Aaron and Justin and husband to Lorie. A stern, hardworking man, Carson shoulders the financial burden of Aaron’s extensive medical treatments while keeping a roof over the family’s head. Years of watching his eldest son nearly die have left him mentally and emotionally drained. Unable to confront the guilt of what Justin has endured to save Aaron, Carson emotionally detaches from his youngest son, creating a wall of silence between them.

• Lorie Miller (45): Lorie, Justin and Aaron’s mother, is a full-time caregiver for Aaron. With a demanding and controlling nature, she keeps a tight grip on both of her sons to ensure they remain “safe.” However, this control is uneven—while Aaron is coddled, Justin is treated more like a live-in nurse than a son. Anytime Aaron needs assistance, Lorie turns to Justin without hesitation, expecting him to be ready and willing at all times. Her devotion to Aaron blinds her to the toll her actions take on Justin.