Cathy Mazurkiewicz

Cathy Mazurkiewicz, mother of six, died from melanoma 8 months after her 10-year-old son died from brain cancer. Her son, Montana (named after Joe), was granted his dying wish last year to call a play in a Notre Dame game. Montana died the day before the game but the Notre Dame coach used Montana's play regardless. They won. There were many articles written about the event and Cathy Mazurkiewicz could have gotten a lot of attention on herself because she was dying as well. But Cathy kept it quiet so that the focus could remain solely on her son. Remarkable.

From the Chicago Tribune (AP):

The mother of a boy granted a dying wish to call a football play for Notre Dame died eight months after her son. Cathy Mazurkiewicz died Wednesday at 46 at her parents' home in Bodfish, Calif., of melanoma, said her daughter, Katrin Seymour. Montana, 10, died of inoperable brain cancer. Cathy Mazurkiewicz, the mother of six, knew her health was failing when her son died but kept it quiet. "When she was taking care of Montana, she hardly had time to focus on her own illness," Seymour said. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis visited Montana Mazurkiewicz in Mishawaka, Ind., outside South Bend, last September before Notre Dame played Washington. Weis agreed to let Montana call the first play against Washington. Montana called "pass right." Montana never got to see the play, though. He died the day before.