TheUniversityofNotre Dame Alumni Associationpresented the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Dr. Michael Parseghian and his wife, Cindy, founders of the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation (APMRF), during a fundraising event for the foundation last month.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented on occasion in recognition of exemplary service to Notre Dame or community.
Both 1977 Notre Dame graduates, Michael and Cindy started APMRF in 1994, in an effort to find a cure for Niemann-Pick Type C disease, a rare and fatal genetic disorder that has struck three of their four children.It is named in honor of the childrensgrandfather, who was Notre Dames head football coach from 1964 to 1974.
Michael is a practicing physician inTucson,Ariz., and serves as secretary/treasurer of APMRF.Cindy is president of the foundation and also serves on the board of directors for the National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation.
APMRF has raised more than $20 million, which has helped scientists identify the gene responsible for the disease and develop therapies to help the children affected.
Additional information on the foundation is available at http://www.parseghian.org/apmrfweb/
* Contact: * Mary Patricia Dowling, Alumni Association, 574-631-4638, " dowling.2@nd.edu ":mailto:dowling.2@nd.edu __
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