Brett Favre Reveals Parkinson's Diagnosis During Congressional Hearing

Brett Favre revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease while testifying before Congress on Tuesday about his alleged receipt and misuse of public funds.

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback, 54, appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee to answer accusations that he used his connections to former Gov. Phil Bryant to lobby for federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program funds to pay for a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater, where his daughter was a student athlete at the time.

According to a Mississippi state auditor, Favre also improperly received more than $1 million in TANF funds for speaking engagements he never made. Although he has not been criminally charged, Favre has been repaying money to the state.

During the hearing, Favre revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis.

"Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others, and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s," Favre said.

"This is also a cause dear to my heart. Recently, the doctor, running the company pleaded guilty to taking (public) money for his own use," he said.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. It is a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system, and while early symptoms include tremors and rigidity, at later stages, symptoms progress to difficulty moving and walking, and even cognitive decline.

Story via TMX