As anyone who’s ever had major surgery or spent a significant amount of time in the hospital knows, medical bills in the US can far exceed what the average person can afford if health insurance doesn’t cover it. In fact, medical bills are the leading cause for personal bankruptcies in the United States.
It’s a terrible situation many Americans find themselves in. Just ask UFC middleweight Dan Miller whose 1-year old son is in need of a kidney transplant due to a genetic kidney disease. Not having the cash to cover the $100,000 cost of surgery, Miller opened the Daniel James Miller Foundation to raise funds to pay for the transplant. While many in the community have donated, the surgery is now possible thanks to sizable donations from the UFC, Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White.
“Zuffa went above and beyond to make sure that Daniel James Miller and his aunt Kathy, who will be the living donor, will have the absolute best health care and the funding possible to make the surgery happen,” AMA trainer Mike Constantino told MMAjunkie.com. “In addition to that, Dana and Lorenzo also made a substantial donation to the Daniel James Miller Foundation.”
“I would like to thank Dana and Lorenzo for reaching out to help Dan Miller and his family,” Constantino said. “Zuffa has proven time and time again that they take care of their own, and they should be recognized for that. These are the things that make being a part of the UFC family so special.
“I would also personally like to thank Reed Harris who was very instrumental in this and it is very reassuring to hear from him that the UFC has our back no matter how tall the obstacle.”
With the funding in place, the surgery has been scheduled for late January. The Daniel James Miller Foundation will remain open and will continue to accept donations since the Miller family will incur additional medical costs associated with the surgery and recovery.
Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog
