Touching ND story

[Rockne3d 0]

It's from the Southbend Tribune. Although it would be nice if the local paper could spell our coaches name right. The reference to ND is in paragraph 3.

 

 

 

 

Obituary: Montana M. Mazurkiewicz

July 4, 1995 -- Sept. 23, 2005

 

 

 

 

Montana M. Mazurkiewicz, 10, of Princeton Court, Mishawaka, passed away after a courageous year-and-a-half long battle with a brain tumor. He was preceded in death by his grandpa, John.

 

Montana was born on July 4, 1995, in Riverside, CA, to Michael and Cathy (Seymour) Mazurkiewicz. He is survived by his parents, Michael and Cathy; three sisters, Stephanie (Troy) Stuart of Mishawaka, Katrin "Kay Kay" (Aleskie) Seymour of CA and Shannon "Sissy" (Michael) Bacon of Colorado; two brothers, Donnie Stuart of NC and Rockne Mazurkiewicz of Mishawaka. Also surviving are his grandparents, Matthew Mazurkiewicz of South Bend, Eugenia Mazurkiewicz of Mishawaka, Nana Chris Seymour of CA, Dennis and Marilyn Francis of CA; his great-grandmother, Natalie Francis of CA; his aunt, Noel Seymour of CA; uncles, John (Trudy) Seymour of CA, "D" (Shawn) Seymour of CA, Jim Mazurkiewicz and Joe (Chris) Mazurkiewicz, both of Mishawaka, and Dennis Mazurkiewicz of South Bend; his niece, Delaney Bacon of CO; and his very best friend, Jack Banes of Mishawaka.

 

Montana loved fishing and football. He wanted to join the Army when he grew up and was made an Honorary Two Star General by the Indiana National Guard. He loved watching NASCAR, and animals, especially dogs. Montana always lit up a room when he came in with his smile. He could make people laugh and was such a prankster. Even though he had a funny side, Montana also was very kind, caring and helpful, especially to senior citizens. He liked the Denver Broncos and Notre Dame. On a visit to his house by Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weiss, Montana selected the first play that the football team ran against Washington during Saturday's game. The only people who knew what the play was were Montana and Coach Weiss. On Thursday, September 22, members of different Notre Dame women's athletic teams came to visit with Montana at the house and it meant the world to him. He just got back Tuesday morning, Sept. 20, from Walt Disney World in Florida. The trip was made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

 

The family would like to give a special Thank You to the Indiana National Guard, especially Lt. Eric Nance, the ND athletes, the 6th Floor Pediatric Oncology, 1st Floor Radiation Oncology, both at Memorial Hospital, and the nurses and doctors who helped take care of Montana, as well as the teachers and staff at Hums Elementary School, Mishawaka. Montana's former principal, Mickey Roelandts, said "Montana is just an angel, an absolute angel."

 

Family and friends may visit from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, in the Hahn Funeral Home, 505 W. 8th Street, Mishawaka. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in Osceola United Methodist Church, 431 N. Beech Road, Osceola, with Rev. Brian Beeks officiating.

 

Contributions in memory of Montana may be made to the Montana Mazurkiewicz Family Fund, c/o MFB.

[Guest SirJohn]

Nice!

[Guest SirJohn]

Coach Weis official Presser goes into the above chbilds death a little more.

 

I am............over whelmed as I saw thawt play and Fasano leap over that Washington defender after catching the ball for that gain. I thought at the time it was the play of the week caliber.

 

In fact I thought it a puzzling call and it sure did look like Fasano was going to ber nailed. I couldn't believe he did that.

 

I did not know of the story of this boy calling the first play at that time.

 

It should make us all just that more proud to be Irish.

[Guest SirJohn]

From Coach Weis Presser:

 

As was brought up earlier, Montana, there's a young boy by the name of Montana Mazurkiewicz who died on Thursday of this week. You know, very often Notre Dame gets asked to get involved with different people. This is a kid from Mishawaka who on Wednesday, I went over to visit him during the day for a brief time, brought him a ball and a couple of T shirts and hats and stuff.

 

It was a very compelling visit, one that I'll always remember the rest of my life. When you walk in, here is this 10 year old kid with inoperable brain cancer. They basically told me he had a couple weeks to live. If you looked at him, you would know that a couple weeks was more realistically a couple days.

 

I sat there with his mom and his brother, his mom Cathy, his brother Rockne. Montana, Rockne, you get the picture? First of all, I gave him an opportunity to hammer me on the Michigan State loss, which he did very well. Reminded me of my son. Then I was able to get a couple smiles out of him. His mom got to take a couple pictures. She said it was the first time he really smiled in about three months.

 

But here is a 10 year old kid sitting there telling you, "Yeah, I have a tumor that's inoperable." He knew he was going. He had lost feeling in his lower body. While I'm sitting there, he has pains in his shoulders, asking his mother to rub him down. He's trying not to be a wimp. When you see the kid, it was really disheartening.

 

I sat there with the kid, we talked about Notre Dame football. He talked to me about his love for Notre Dame football, how he just wanted to make it through this game this week. He just wanted to be able to live through this game so he could watch that game because he knew he wasn't going to last very much longer.

 

I said, "What can I do for you?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "I'll tell you what. What do you want me to do on the first play of the game? Run or pass?" Like any 10 year old kid, the answer is going to be pass. I said, "Okay."

 

All of a sudden (in the game) we're on the one-yard line, the first time we get the ball. I say, "I have a problem here." I had told the team briefly about Montana on Wednesday because it was kind of a compelling visit, like I said. I told them how important Notre Dame football is to a lot of people. I was using Montana as an example. I'm not big on "Win one for the Gipper" type of deals, but I wanted people to realize how important they are as football players at Notre Dame, that they represent a lot of people that they don't even realize they're representing. Sometimes you think of the media. Sometimes you think of the alumni. You don't think of the 10 year old kid who is dying of cancer.

 

We're on the one-yard line. I told him I'd try to throw a pass to the right. I told Brady (Quinn) what I was going to do. We're on the one- yard line. "What are we going to do?" "I got no choice, we're throwing it to the right. Let's call bootleg. (Anthony) Fasano is going to be open, try to get it out of here, get it off the goal line." Anthony makes the catch, in a rare moment of athleticism, he leaps over the defender, gets some extra yards. It's almost as if Montana was willing him to beat that defender and take it to the house.

 

I got the message when we were in Seattle, I got the message through a phone call that Montana had died. I called their house, I talked to his brother Rockne. Rockne said, "The only thing I really wish on behalf of Montana is that you guys would be thinking of Montana and playing in his memory." I try not to use any individual as a motivational tool. I promised Rockne that after this game was over, if we won the game, I would get this ball signed and bring it over to their house. The ball is signed. After I meet with the players today, I'm going over there today to give it to them.

 

Just so you know, that's not to make me out to be a good guy. I was asked by somebody from the university to go. I thought it was the right thing to do. I tell you what, to watch a kid that's 10 years old, a lot of times we look at people that are older, that are sick, we feel bad for them, which we should. But having two kids myself, knowing that I would do anything in the world for my kids, to watch this 10 year old kid, knowing there wasn't much time left in this kid's life, and the only thing that could get a smile out of him was the head coach from Notre Dame sitting there talking about Notre Dame football, it makes me feel good that I went over there. I'd feel really bad if I didn't.

 

If you'd like to ask any questions about that, I'd answer them. I think I tried to answer that as best I could.

 

Q. How old are your kids?

 

COACH WEIS: My kids are 12 and 10. My daughter was 10. The thought went through my mind. My daughter Hanna has special needs, we have our own set of problems. The first thing I did was call my wife up, "We think we got problems with Hanna." This kid could be lucky if he makes it to the weekend. Unfortunately, I was prophetic.

 

Q. When exactly did you meet with him?

 

COACH WEIS: I met with him Wednesday because we left on Thursday. I went over there on Wednesday after I finished doing what I was doing. I got the call Thursday night when we were in Seattle.

 

Q. Did you talk to the family after the game?

 

COACH WEIS: I talked to Cathy after the game yesterday. I said, "Did you see the first play?" She said, "Yeah, I was watching." She was toughening it out. She's a tough lady. But I called her just to let her know, A, that I was thinking of her and her family, and B, we called the play he wanted and it worked, that I'd be or the house today, to bring that game ball, which I promised I'd get that game ball and bring it over to their house, which I wanted to.

 

Q. What did you, or your team, learn from this experience?

 

COACH WEIS: Two things I said before, I'll tie together. One is I'm a big family guy. In addition to my wife, my son Charlie and my daughter Hanna - that's why I live. As a matter of fact, I was sick years ago, probably should have died. I know that I stayed alive because of them. Willed me not to die. To watch a kid that's 10- years-old only get a smile to his face because of his passion and love for Notre Dame football, that's really a good moral to tell your own players to realize to let them understand who they're representing when they put on that uniform. It's not just the university they're representing, it's all the people who support that university. Sometimes we forget who they are because you think you're on a pedestal and you're bigger than the rest. It really it kind of brings you back down to earth, realize how important it is to wear that jersey.

 

Not to bring a somber note, but I think for Montana's sake, I hope he's smiling in heaven right now, and I'm glad he's out of pain. I'm glad we won, by the way, too, so I could bring him the ball.

[Guest SirJohn]

By TOM COYNE, AP Sports Writer

9 minutes ago

 

 

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Charlie Weis doesn't usually let anyone else call plays on offense. He made an exception for 10-year-old Montana Mazurkiewicz.

 

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The Notre Dame coach met last week with Montana, who had been told by doctors weeks earlier that there was nothing more they could do to stop the spread of his inoperable brain tumor.

 

"He was a big Notre Dame fan in general, but football especially," said his mother, Cathy Mazurkiewicz.

 

Weis showed up at the Mazurkiewicz home in Mishawaka, just east of South Bend, and talked with Montana about his tumor and about Weis' 10-year-old daughter, Hannah, who has global development delay, a rare disorder similar to autism.

 

He told Montana about some pranks he played on Joe Montana — whom Montana was named after — while they were roommates at Notre Dame.

 

"I gave him a chance to hammer me on the Michigan State loss, which he did very well. He reminded me of my son," said Weis, whose son, Charlie Jr., is 12 years old.

 

Weis said the meeting was touching.

 

"He told me about his love for Notre Dame football and how he just wanted to make it through this game this week," Weis said. "He just wanted to be able to live through this game because he knew he wasn't going to live very much longer."

 

As Weis talked to the boy, Cathy Mazurkiewicz rubbed her son's shoulder trying to ease his pain. Weis said he could tell the boy was trying not to show he was in pain.

 

His mother told Montana, who had just become paralyzed from the waist down a day earlier because of the tumor, to toss her a football Weis had given him. Montana tried to throw the football, put could barely lift it. So Weis climbed into the reclining chair with him and helped him complete the pass to his mother.

 

Before leaving, Weis signed the football.

 

"He wrote, 'Live for today for tomorrow is always another day,'" Mazurkiewicz said.

 

"He told him: 'You can't worry about tomorrow. Just live today for everything it has and everything you can appreciate," she said. "He said: 'If you're (in pain) today you might not necessarily be in pain tomorrow, or it might be worse. But there's always another day."

 

Weis asked Montana if there was something he could do for him. He agreed to let Montana call the first play against Washington on Saturday. He called "pass right."

 

Montana never got to see the play. He died Friday at his home.

 

Weis heard about the death and called Mazurkiewicz on Friday night to assure her he would still call Montana's play.

 

"He said, 'This game is for Montana, and the play still stands,'" she said.

 

Weis said he told the team about the visit. He said it wasn't a "Win one for the Gipper" speech, because he doesn't believe in using individuals as inspiration. He just wanted the team to know people like Montana are out there.

 

"That they represent a lot of people that they don't even realize they're representing," Weis said.

 

When the Irish started on their own 1-yard-line following a fumble recovery, Mazurkiewicz wasn't sure Notre Dame would be able to throw a pass. Weis was concerned about that, too. So was quarterback Brady Quinn.

 

"He said what are we going to do?" Weis said. "I said we have no choice. We're throwing it to the right."

 

Weis called a play where most of the Irish went left, Quinn ran right and looked for tight end Anthony Fasano on the right.

 

Mazurkiewicz watched with her family.

 

"I just closed my eyes. I thought, 'There's no way he's going to be able to make that pass. Not from where they're at. He's going to get sacked and Washington's going to get two points,'" she said.

 

Fasano caught the pass and leapt over a defender for a 13-yard gain.

 

"It's almost like Montana was willing him to beat that defender and take it to the house," Weis said.

 

Mazurkiewicz was happy.

 

"It was an amazing play. Montana would have been very pleased. I was very pleased," she said. "I was just so overwhelmed. I couldn't watch much more."

 

Weis called her again after the game, a 36-17 victory by the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish, and said he had a game ball signed by the team that he wanted to bring to the family on Sunday.

 

"He's a very neat man. Very compassionate," she said. "I just thanked him for using that play, no matter the circumstances."

[Guest SirJohn]

broker.

 

Sad to say in this tragedy yet wonderful story the hate runs on. I received an EM from a USC fan a bit ago and seen some posts. In effect USCs current Coach had a similar account and chose not to publicize it.

 

Note the little slam 'publicize it.' against Notre Dame?

 

All I could do was show that if the writer knew about something similar at USC then it had been 'published.' So how do you know about it? (LOGIC)

 

I immediately went to your post and copied the poor childs obituary to send. I explained an obituary is whatever the immediate family chooses to write about. If any other media pick up on that and ask questions then that is their duty and right.

 

It sickens me how they can try to twist something so nice 360 degrees.

 

Thank you for the post cause I would have had no real ammo to reply to this moron. Not that it does any good it's like ordering the surf to stop by that king long ago.