( The Millers and the toughest fighter in the family, Danny Jr.)

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Dan Miller, you’d know that he is one of the nicest and most accommodating fighters on the UFC roster. What many of you may not know is that Dan and his wife Kristin have been on a rollercoaster the past two years, having lost their daughter Alexis shortly after she was born and learning soon after that their infant son, Danny Jr. has a rare, and often fatal disorder known as autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.

Danny is on daily dialysis and is awaiting  a kidney transplant from his aunt as his are more than triple the size that they should be and are filled with cysts. The surgery will allow Danny to live a much more normal life, but the procedure and aftercare are not cheap. His medication after the operation, the Millers were told by Danny’s specialist, will cost upwards of $10,000 per month, and will only be partially covered by their insurance provider. To top it all off, only part of his operation will be covered by their HMO.

I had a chance to talk to Dan last year at the MMA Expo in Toronto about the struggles his family has endured and how difficult it is to keep his mind on training and fighting when he knows that his son is fighting a much tougher and important fight in a children’s hospital miles away. The story is a heart wrenching one, and as a parent I don’t know how they cope as well as they do with the situation while maintaining their everyday responsibilities.

Miller’s coaches and teammates at AMA Fight Club in East Whippany, NJ have set up a site to collect donations for the Millers to help offset the medical costs that keep piling up.

They are also holding a seminar on December 3 to raise money for the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The four-hour seminar will feature a BJJ/wrestling seminar led by Dan and Jim Miller and their teammate Charlie Brenneman, and will also include a Muay Thai seminar. There will also be autographed UFC and Strikeforce memorabilia giveaways and free AMA FC membership draws at the event.

For more info on Danny’s disease or the Daniel James Miller Foundation, click HERE.

Information on the seminar can be found here on the DJMF Facebook page HERE.

Alternatively, you can donate via PayPal HERE.

Lets help one of the good guys in the sport enjoy the holidays without the stress of wondering if he will be able to provide the necessities of life for his little boy.