Darius Butler's daughter is improving following open-heart surgery. (AP)

Former Patriot Darius Butler weathered some rough times this fall when he was cut from the Patriots on Sept. 6, but that experience cannot compare to what he has been enduring this last week as his three-month-old daughter Milan required open-heart surgery on Oct. 27.

Butler, who now plays for the Panthers, missed Sunday’s game against Minnesota to spend time with his daughter in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. He left the team last week after receiving a call from the child’s mother saying she had taken Milan to the emergency room and doctors scheduled the infant for emergency surgery to repair a complication with Milan’s veins. Butler took to Twitter to keep fans updated on his daughter’s status and to ask for prayers for his family.

Milan was placed on an ECMO machine, which works as a type of heart-lung bypass machine, last Friday and came off the machine on Tuesday. According to Butler’s Twitter account, Milan is now breathing on her own. She will remain in intensive care for at least two more weeks, but was stable enough for Butler to return to Charlotte for practice on Wednesday. With the Panthers on a bye week, Butler will return to Florida to spend his time off with his daughter.

On Thursday morning, Butler thanked fans for their support through Twitter, writing, Being in this Pediatric ICU for the last week has really put alot[sic] of things in prospective[sic] for me. Watching these strong kids fight 24/7 for what most of us and our children have been blessed with; a healthy “normal” life. Take the time out 2day to truly thank God for what you have.

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