Green Bay Packers Legend Announces Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis

It was supposed to be a congressional hearing about federal welfare reform, featuring a very well-known athlete and celebrity discussing his involvement in the disbursement of assistance for needy families in his home state that wound up with $8 million going to him, a volleyball stadium at his alma mater, and a drug company he'd invested heavily in.

I think it's safe to say that this Hall of Famer's comments on those things will not be the big news from the hearings.

It's also safe to assume that far more attention will be on the bombshell he dropped in the hearing room: his recent diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, which no one expected to hear.

Brett Favre, In Making The Announcement Of His Diagnosis Of Parkinson's Disease, Joins A Long List Of Famous People Who've Had To Make The Same Announcement

That list, which sadly is too long, includes names like these (hat-tip to parkinson.org):

• Muhammad Ali (diagnosed 1984)
• Neil Diamond (diagnosed 2018)
• Michael J. Fox (diagnosed 1991)
• Billy Graham (diagnosed 1993)
• Pope John Paul II (diagnosed 1991)
• Robin Williams (diagnosed in 2014 with Lewy Body Dementia)
• Ozzy Osbourne (diagnosed 2019)
• Richard Lewis (diagnosed 2021)
• Bob Hoskins (diagnosed 2011)
• George H.W. Bush (diagnosed with vascular parkinsonism 2012)
• Alan Alda (diagnosed 2015)
• Rev. Jesse Jackson (diagnosed 2015)

Obviously, Parkinson's Disease Also Affects People Who Are Not Celebrities, And Can Be Devastating To Deal With, Especially Since There Is No Known Cure At This Time

Parkinson's Disease, according to the Mayo Clinic,

"...is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time. The nervous system is a network of nerve cells that controls many parts of the body, including movement.

Symptoms start slowly. The first symptom may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand or sometimes a foot or the jaw. Tremor is common in Parkinson's disease. But the disorder also may cause stiffness, slowing of movement and trouble with balance that raises the risk of falls."

Brett Favre told the hearing that he'd lost his investment in a company that he believed was developing a “breakthrough concussion drug.”

WGNTV:

Favre previously told The Bubba Army radio show that during his football career — which spanned 20 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, the Green Bay Packers, the New York Jets, and the Minnesota Vikings — he believes he suffered “thousands” of concussions, Yahoo Sports reports.