I was working at White Deer Golf Course in the spring of 2013, and a local youngster wanted to know if we were hiring. We told him no at first, but then this kid kept on calling. He literally dialed us every day for the next three weeks until we finally caved. Our relationship started from there, and it blossomed when I learned about his passion for the great outdoors.

We became real tight when he got to high school. This young man was a reserve on my Montgomery hoops team. He wasn’t the greatest athlete, but he will go down as one of my all-time favorites. The fans absolutely adored him, and the place went crazy when this 5’4” power forward stepped onto the floor. He would either dazzle the crowd with an amazing play or simply fall down in the paint.

My man had the best attitude, and I always looked forward to our conversations. He never missed a practice, and he was quite entertaining. I vividly remember a time when we were getting throttled. He turned to me late in the second half just to ask a few questions on what I used to catch smallmouth bass. You can’t make this up.

This young lad loves to fish, and he is also a very successful trapper. We are constantly sharing information and swapping pictures. I am what you would call a novice when it comes to trapping, but I was fascinated by his dedication. He checked his lines before school, and I made the mistake of asking him to keep me posted on his successes. I can’t tell you the number of times this kid sent me a random selfie with some dead animal at 5:45 in the morning.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We have a special guest today walking with Justin Thomas. Please welcome Mr. Mikey Miller from Montgomery, PA to the 16th green!”

So this past year was a tough go for my young friend as he faced many ups and downs. I will gladly take a seat and let my pal Mikey explain in his own words. This is a beautiful story with a great ending.

“I hurt my leg but didn’t think much of it,” Mikey shared. “It wasn’t getting any better after three weeks, so we went to Med Express. We took a few X-rays and ran some tests. I was then diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. A form of bone cancer that is rather common.

“It was a very scary time,” Mikey continued. “I immediately started chemotherapy, and we made several trips to the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville. It was a long and tiring process, but after one year I can now proudly say that I am cancer free.”

Mikey and his family were introduced to many great people during the journey. One of his doctors encouraged him to reach out to the Make A Wish Foundation.

“I wrote a short essay,” Mikey described. “Then I had an extensive interview. They asked me several questions. We talked a lot about golf, and I told them that I had never been to a PGA tournament. A few months passed, and I didn’t hear anything, so I just thought it wasn’t going to work out.

“Then one day I got a random call, and they told me they were flying us out for the Phoenix Open. I was so excited. When we got to the hotel, they picked us up in a limousine and took us to the course. There I was inside the ropes at a major PGA Tour event.

“I got to meet several big names,” Mikey related. “Everyone was so nice, and they took the time away from their practice just to hear my story. I got to hang out with Justin Thomas, the worlds 4th best player, on the famed 16th. He even let me try his putt for birdie. I was so nervous, and there must have been 20,000 rabid fans in the stands. It was incredible. What an amazing experience.”

Mikey Miller and I don’t see much of each other nowadays, but I was extremely happy to see my young friend smile again. There’s now a short clip of Mikey and his adventures online. The video has since gone viral, and they didn’t even have to promise a large amount of money. My man is there shaking hands with some of the world’s best players. Kudos to you big fella. You earned this. Special thanks to the PGA Tour and the Make a Wish Foundation for making this happen. Mikey Miller of Montgomery. One of my all-time favorites. Cheers.