[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21693-21694]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE WORK OF ARA PARSEGHIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE DONNELLY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 2009

  Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ara 
Parseghian for his years of dedication as a loving husband and father, 
legendary football coach and most notably, an advocate for scientific 
research to discover cures for two rare diseases which afflict hundreds 
of thousands of Americans--Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Niemann-Pick 
Type C disease.
  Ara Parseghian spent much of his career serving as a leader and role 
model to the many young men who came under his guidance during his 
tenure as the head football coach at Miami University, Northwestern and 
the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Parseghian's impressive record at 
Notre Dame included two consensus national championships and three bowl 
victories in the 1970 Cotton Bowl, the 1973 Sugar Bowl and the 1974 
Orange Bowl. Mr. Parseghian was inducted into the College Football Hall 
of Fame in 1980 in recognition for these tremendous accomplishments.
  Many Americans have heard stories about Ara Parseghian's legendary 
football career, but what many may not know is that some of his most 
important work began after his football career. For nearly fifteen 
years, Ara has been fighting Niemann-Pick Type C disease. This tragic 
disease is a degenerative neurological disorder afflicting thousands of 
children and sadly is ultimately fatal. Niemann-Picks Type C is a rare 
disease, afflicting only one out of four children when both parents are 
carriers. The Parseghian family learned of this disease first hand, 
when despite the rarity of the disease, three of Ara's youngest 
grandchildren were diagnosed with Niemann-Picks Type C in 1994.
  Unfortunately, the Parseghians' beautiful grandchildren are no longer 
with us. Michael passed away at the age of 9 in 1997, Christa when she 
was only 10 in 2001, and most recently Maria at age 16 in 2005. Surely 
no grandparent in this day and age should have to outlive three of 
their grandchildren. Yet, rather than succumb to grief and give up 
hope, Ara Parseghian and his family never let up in their fight to find 
a cure for this terrible disease. Together they founded the Ara 
Parseghian Medical Research Foundation in 1994 devoted to researching 
and finding a

[[Page 21694]]

cure for Niemann-Picks Type C. In 1997, scientists funded by the 
Parseghian foundation were able to isolate the gene responsible for 
causing Niemann-Picks Type C, and have since made tremendous strides 
towards finding treatments which may one day prevent other families 
from suffering the same tragic loss as the Parseghians have.
  Ara Parseghian's commitment to scientific discovery did not stop with 
the disease that took the lives of his grandchildren. Mr. Parseghian, 
whose sister, brother-in-law and daughter have been diagnosed with 
multiple sclerosis, is also active in fundraising for the National 
Multiple Sclerosis Society.
  In honor of his many years of selfless devotion to the cause of 
medical research, Ara Parseghian will be honored at the Kate's Hope 
Michiana MS Luncheon on September 23, 2009, where he will receive the 
first Kate's Hope Award for ``hope-inspiring humanitarian service.'' 
While Ara Parseghian has received numerous awards and accolades for his 
achievements on the football field, it is honors such as this--for his 
selfless devotion to others--which will truly define the ``Era of 
Ara.'' And so once again, I wish to express my sincere admiration and 
respect for Ara Parseghian, and honor all he has done for children and 
families struggling with neurological disorders.

                          ____________________