![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_306_Miami_vs_Indiana_2_1_E9QG38T8_L896549328.JPG\" "\\"Indiana")
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) greets fans as he celebrates with tight end Riley Nowakowski (37) after a 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida.<\/p>\n
Photo by David Santiago<\/p>\n
dsantiago@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has donated $500,000 to help fund research and support programs at the University of Miami Health System for patients who, like his mom, are living with multiple sclerosis, a chronic condition that attacks and damages the body\u2019s nervous system.<\/p>\n
The donation to UHealth and the university\u2019s Miller School of Medicine was announced Thursday by The National Multiple Sclerosis Society as the graduate of Miami\u2019s Christopher Columbus High School waits at home<\/a> with his family for the results of the 2026 NFL draft, where he\u2019s projected to be the overall No. 1 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. The donation is part of a new partnership between the organization and Mendoza\u2019s family, which launched the Mendoza Family Fund to help raise money for research, treatment and support for multiple sclerosis, or MS.<\/p>\n \u201cThis fund is about my mom and the millions of people living with MS,\u201d Mendoza said in a statement. \u201cMy mom has taught our family strength, resilience, and positivity. My brothers Alberto and Max, my dad, and I \u2014 we\u2019ve all learned from her example. She\u2019s the reason we fight, and the reason we believe we can do something bigger than ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n MS is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system \u201cmistakenly attacks healthy cells,\u201d<\/a> according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. MS symptoms<\/a> vary by person and can depend on where in the nervous system \u2014 and how severe \u2014 the damage is, though common symptoms include numbness, vision changes and difficulty walking, according to the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n Researchers don\u2019t know yet what exactly causes MS, a condition that is estimated to affect 1 million people in the country. There is no cure yet, though treatments do exist to help manage symptoms.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re grateful for the support of the National MS Society and the Mendoza Family Fund. The University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine share their commitment to a world free of MS, and we value this opportunity to accelerate our work discovering, developing, and delivering treatments for all patients,\u201d UHealth CEO Dr. Dipen Parekh told the Miami Herald in a statement.<\/p>\n Mendoza, his brother Alberto and their family have previously helped raise over $360,000 through \u201cDIY\u201d fundraising efforts, including partnering with a California restaurant to launch a \u201cMendoza Burrito\u201d<\/a> to help raise funds for the National MS Society and raise awareness about the disease, according to the National MS Society. The new Mendoza Family Fund is expected to help accelerate their work and channel the movement they\u2019ve created \u201cinto critical research and programs that will change lives and ultimately help us end MS,\u201d Tim Coetzee, president and CEO of the National MS Society, said in a statement.<\/p>\n Mendoza\u2019s decision to select the University of Miami to be the fund\u2019s first official recipient also seems to be another full-circle moment for the South Florida native and Heisman Trophy winner. His mom, Elsa, once played on the Miami Hurricanes women\u2019s tennis team<\/a>, according to USA Today.<\/p>\n Mendoza has his own history with the U.<\/p>\n Mendoza, who was denied a walk-on spot<\/a> to play for the Miami Hurricanes, earlier this year led the Indiana Hoosiers to victory against the Hurricanes, defeating the team 27-21 during the CFP National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium, securing Indiana\u2019s first national title.<\/p>\n Mendoza said Thursday that \u201cpartnering with the National MS Society through the Mendoza Family Fund gives us the opportunity to turn inspiration into real impact by advancing groundbreaking research and helping families like mine navigate this disease.\u201d<\/p>\n That sounds like a good consolation prize for the Canes.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:01 PM.<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante<\/a><\/p>\n Miami Herald<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health\u2019s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald\u2019s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow.\u00a0
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