Precision Mixed Martial Arts Raises over $6,000 for the Daniel James Miller Foundation
“On behalf of the Daniel James Miller foundation, thank you SO MUCH Brian for getting involved and thank you to all of your people at Precision MMA who have contributed!!”
– Mike Constantino owner of AMA Fight Club
UFC Fighter Dan Miller is a friend and long time training partner of Precision MMA coach Brian McLaughlin. Brian and his students at Precision MMA heard about the tragedy that befell the Miller family and were very motivated to help. Below is the story of little Daniel James Miller:
Daniel James Miller, son of UFC middleweight fighter Dan Miller and his wife Kristin, was born with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.
His kidneys are large, approximately 3-4 times as large as they should be, and as the name implies, full of cysts. At birth, Danny’s kidneys functioned at a level that allowed his body to clear itself of toxins and fluid, but he required medications to maintain his blood pressure and electrolyte balance. Unfortunately, when he was 2 ½ months old, he became very ill and as a result of that illness, lost all kidney function. He was hospitalized at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., where he was started on hemodialysis initially, and then later, peritoneal dialysis. Daniel was hospitalized for a total of about 2 months, the majority of that time, sedated, with multiple intravenous lines, and under constant 1:1 nursing care. His parents, Dan and Kristin learned to care for him, including the mechanics and the principles of peritoneal dialysis. Also, due to the oversized kidneys, Danny required tube feedings and special feeding considerations.
Finally, in May 2010, Danny was discharged home and thrived under the constant and loving care of his parents. He is a bright, sweet and affectionate little boy, who loves being read to, enjoys being outdoors, and is crazy about his “puppies”. He amazes us every day with his capacity to learn and to love.
Danny’s journey is far from over. Although the dialysis that he receives every day clears the toxins and excess fluid from his body, the many other functions of a normal kidney are not replaced by the dialysis, so Danny’s growth has been slow and certain hormone levels are difficult to regulate. Kidney transplantation, specifically a living donor kidney transplant, has been planned, but before that can take place, Danny must have both of his kidneys removed to make room for the transplanted kidney. Once transplantation occurs, Danny will continue frequent follow up visits to the hospital to be monitored and he will require anti- rejection medications for the rest of his life.
Please donate to aid Daniel in his fight for life.
Although Precision MMA’s donations have helped, there is still more that need to be done. To find out more or donate please visit http://danieljamesmillerfoundation.wordpress.com/