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ABOUT THE DONNIE JARRELL FOUNDATION
 This site was created by several of the countless friends of Donnie Jarrell, who was affectionately called "Donzaroo." He lived in Mandeville, a part of St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana, approximately 20 miles north of New Orleans, where he lived all his life. Donnie was married to Tonya and they had a four-year-old daughter, Logan, who was without a doubt the "apple of Donnie's eye." Donnie was a special education teacher in the St. Tammany Parish School System and a fitness instructor at Franco's Athletic Club, one of the premier fitness clubs in the United States. But Donzaroo was much more than that: he was been a dear friend, mentor, encourager, and a voice that said "anything is possible with determination and effort" for many of those who were fortunate enough to be around him. Donzaroo was a premier triathlete in the Greater New Orleans area for many years (including at least seven grueling Ironman competitions). He encouraged many of us to try duathlons, triathlons, Ironman races, and many other sporting events by nurturing us and building up in each of us a confidence to do things that we did not think possible. He was "the rock" of many of our foundations from the time we first met him.
In late March, 2003, Donnie was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of Lou Gehrig's disease, which attacks and kills the nerve cells of the brain stem and spinal cord and ultimately causes severe muscular atrophy and death in many cases in only one or two years time. It has no known cure at present although research continues. This community was in shock over Donnie’s diagnosis and rallied around Donnie and his family. Donnie beat the odds by surviving for over 27 months after his diagnosis. He is now in the daily prayers of the people of this community, who are praying for his family since his passing.
Donnie’s family still need all the spiritual and emotional help that they can get. Also other ALS victims need help. At the request of Donnie and Tonya, the Donnie Jarrell Fund Committee established the Donnie Jarrell Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation whose goal is to assist other ALS victims and families with children with autism and other sensory deficit disorders, such as those whom Donnie taught in school. If it is possible for you to assist, you can send your tax-deductible donations to the Donnie Jarrell Foundation, P.O. Box 8711, Mandeville, LA 70470. This site will be continuously updated with new information regarding fundraising efforts and progress of the foundation.
Most importantly, we ask that you keep Donnie, Tonya, and Logan in your daily prayers. Thank you for your support.
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