The Courage of a Mother, with Cindy Parseghian

Cindy Parseghian is actively shaping the future. In 1994, she and her husband Mike founded a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C), a genetic, cholesterol storage disorder that claimed the lives of three of their four children. The foundation joined forces with the University of Notre Dame in 2015, and together they fight daily to end this devastating disease. The Parseghian family was blessed with four children: Ara, Michael, Marcia, and Christa. Sadly, only the eldest, Ara, tested negative for the genetic disease. The diagnosis and subsequent loss of her three children brought Cindy indescribable pain, challenged her faith, and altered her life's trajectory. Just two months after receiving the diagnosis, Cindy established the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation. Since then, millions of dollars have been raised each year, fueling significant progress towards eradicating a disease that can affect the brain, nerves, liver, spleen, bone marrow and sometimes the lungs. Symptoms can hit children in a variety of debilitating ways, including losing the ability to walk, vision, hearing and speech loss, and repeated infections. Far too many young lives have ended too soon.

But story is evolving. The foundation's work is now funding revolutionary research and providing hope to future parents who may face similar challenges. Recently, the FDA approved two therapies for NP-C patients which sometimes can take place over 5 -10 years as part of the drug trials. These children/patients are able to maintain their quality of life and appear to be living longer. In addition, more young adults are being diagnosed in their early 20s usually after experiencing some form of psychosis (they have a different genetic mutation that is associated with a late on-set form of NP-C.) All of these factors are adding up to a longer life span for NP-C patients and better news for families.

Cindy's response to her tragedy is profoundly inspiring. She found purpose and strength amid intense grief and launched a foundation with a dedicated mission to help others, while always keeping her children's memories close to her heart. As you will hear in this warm and enlightening podcast conversation with Bill, Cindy expresses immense gratitude for everyone who has contributed to the cause and become part of the team to end NP-C. We encourage you to learn more about the foundation, the benefits of the research, and consider making a tax-deductible contribution. Please go to https://parseghianfund.nd.edu

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The topic of gratitude will always be embedded in the mission of this podcast so it is fitting that in this episode it’s true power is explored with the award-winning author and speaker, Patrick Garry. Patrick is a professor of law at the University of South Dakota and the Director of the Hagemann Center for Legal & Public Policy Research and earned his Ph.D. and J.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has published 13 non-fiction books, 8 novels and has been published in 139 scholarly articles focusing primarily on law, politics and religion. In addition, Patrick has been invited on several occasions to testify before Congress on legal and constitutional matters and he is a frequent speaker at Federalist Society sponsored events. However, of all his books and writings, The Power of Gratitude, is his most personal work and perhaps his finest literary achievement. As Patrick reflected on his parent’s lives, he saw that gratitude was more than just an emotion or a way to say thank you, but foundational to how they loved, served, and persevered through challenges. In other words, gratitude became a way of life for them, amplified virtues, and brought a deeper joy to every day and every experience. The life lesson they taught is that gratitude leads to finding God’s purpose for our lives. Listen in to learn more about how you can cultivate gratitude in your life and see the positive impact on your own mental and emotional well-being. You can order a copy of the Power of Gratitude on Amazon for additional insights, stories, and ways to foster satisfaction in your life. Enjoy the podcast here or watch it on YouTube.

The Moran Family is excited to announce the launch of the With Gratitude Matt Foundation. This special episode is again hosted by Matt's brother Bill and he is joined by sister Moira to discuss the foundation's goals and background along with a few other updates and family stories. When Matt passed in August of 2023, the idea to honor and preserve Matt's legacy of helping others was an immediate goal of the family. The Moran family is excited to announce that With Gratitude Matt is now a charitable Foundation and has non-profit 501 (C) (3) status. The purpose of the foundation will be to support the ongoing production of this podcast and also assist young people who may not have the means to engage in activities that foster their growth and who have the courage to be grateful. In addition, creating awareness and helping fight the fear and burden of cancer will remain close to our hearts and part of who we are. The team is confident that Matt’s light, strength, and giving heart will live on in the benefactors of the With Gratitude Matt Foundation.

In addition, please check out our new website, withgratitudematt.com, where there are links to all of the previous episodes, the blog history, recent announcements about upcoming events, and a link to make a donation to the foundation.

Matt's family, friends, co-workers, fellow parishioners, and the many listeners of this podcast are all excited to continue what Matt started by being a person for others. Activity will center around cultivating gratitude, fostering meaningful connections, and contributing to our own communities. A special thanks to Mary Moran for helping lead this idea and also to our founding sponsor, DayMark Wealth Partners. Bob Prangley, a managing partner at DayMark, explained, “As we listen intently to the inspiration of WGM, we reflect and align with living an active legacy and service to others.”

Learn more about the foundation, the background and here a few more Matt stories by listening to this episode here or viewing it here. Stay tuned for the many new and exciting guests coming in 2025.