Notre Dame Alumnus Portrayed in Movie “Extraordinary Measures”

John Crowley, a 1992 Notre Dame Law School alumnus, is the subject of “Extraordinary Measures,” a movie that tells the true story of Crowley’s search for a treatment for Pompe Disease. Two of Crowley’s three children have the life-threatening genetic defect. Actor Brendan Fraser plays Crowley, and Harrison Ford plays the researcher that discovered the treatment.

Notre Dame will host a screening of the movie in Browning Cinema of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Crowley will be on hand to introduce the movie at the 6:30 showing. The event is free but ticketed. Call the ticket office at 574-631-2800 to reserve tickets.

The movie is set for nationwide release in theatres on January 22, 2010.

For a preview of the movie and additional background about Crowley, visit http://extraordinarymeasuresthemovie.com/. The screenplay is derived from a 2006 book about Crowley by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Geeta Anand entitled “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million- and Bucked the Medical Establishment- in a Quest to Save His Children.” (www.thecurebook.com).

Pompe Disease, which affects just 10,000 people worldwide, causes progressive muscle weakness throughout the body and affects various body tissues, particularly the heart, skeletal muscles (including those involved with breathing), liver, and nervous system.