Why This Story Matters for Aphasia

 

Sharing this experience is more than just a personal story—it’s a way to raise awareness about Aphasia. By connecting with students and alums, I can highlight how communication challenges like Aphasia can affect anyone, regardless of background or achievements. Stories like these help break down stigma, foster understanding, and encourage support for those living with Aphasia. They remind us that every connection—whether through sports, family, or shared experiences—can be an opportunity to educate and inspire others about the importance of communication and inclusion.
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Penn State Weekend

 

On November 7th and 8th, I had a great weekend at Penn State. On Friday, I met the Teammates for Life Alumni PowHER Panel for lunch, and then I met the Penn State students about Aphasia at 2 pm.

 

On Saturday, I watched the Penn State vs. Indiana football game. It was a great game, and it sucked that Penn State had lost on an incredible Indiana touchdown with less than a minute to go.

 

 

When I got home, my brother told me that Indiana’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, was Cuban and that their parents lived in our neighborhood in Havana, Cuba. My mind started to wonder if Mendoza was related to us. I wanted to find out.

 

Simple Connection to Fernando

 

 

I was born in May 1955, and I am the baby sitting on my grandfather’s lap in the left circle. The three on the right circles show my Uncle Miguel Suarez, my Aunt Maria Ana Simpson, and my first cousin Maria Cristina Suarez.

 

My Cousin Maria Cristina’s mom, my Aunt, Maria Ana Simpson, had a sister named Martha Digna Simpson y Aballi. She has a daughter, Martica Menocal Mendoza, who is my cousin Maria Cristina’s first cousin.

 

 

Martica is the grandmother of Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback at Indiana who recently beat Ohio State for the Big 10 Championship.

 

It seems that Fernando and I are not directly related, only through my cousin.

 

Complicated Connection to Fernando

 

Then I looked at my brother’s Ancestry family trees, and according to that, Fernando is related to us. It seems we are distant cousins (7th cousins, 3 times removed).

 

In the 1700s, our 6th great-grandparents were connected through my maternal grandmother and Martica’s father’s family.

 

Martica married Fernando Gonzales de Mendoza y de Cardenas. He lived next door to my grandparents in Havana.

 

Who is Martica, Fernando’s Grandmother?

 

I wondered if Martica knew my family in Havana. My cousin, Maria Cristina, said that Martica was a swimmer and that my dad would take the swimming team from the Biltmore Club to a competition in Atlanta called Havatlanta. The Havatlanta Games were an annual swimming competition between young athletes from Atlanta and Havana, held from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s. My older brother even won a medal there.

 

 

 

Here is how Martica and Fernando Mendoza, Jr. are connected:

 

• Martica has three sons—Alejandro, Andres, and Fernando. They are distant cousins of mine.

 

• Fernando Mendoza married Elsa Espino in 2001.

 

• They have three sons, Fernando, Alberto (who is the backup quarterback at Indiana), and Max.

 

 

Fernando Mendoza just won the Heisman Trophy with Martica.

 

 

Even though I never met Fernando, I am proud of what he has done.

 

I Had Met a Heisman Trophy Winner Before

 

To complete the circle, I once met another Heisman Trophy winner. In 1973, when I was a freshman at Penn State, John Cappelletti lived in the fraternity house across the street from mine. I met him at a party hosted by FIJI.