Michael J. Fox is adored by everybody. From his famous role as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy to his remarkable efforts to collect funds for Parkinson’s research, he is one of the world’s most popular and revered entertainers.
While the actor, now 61, has often expressed optimism about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, he has also been open about the effect that it has had on his health and well-being.
Fox spoke out about his mortality, adding that life with Parkinson’s is “getting tougher” and that he does not expect to live to be 80.
Fox told CBS Sunday Morning anchor Jane Pauley that, although he’s made the most of his life regardless of the diagnosis, Parkinson’s is now “banging on the door.”
He is not going to lie. It’s becoming more difficult, observed the retired actor. Each day is harder. But that’s just how it is. He means, who does he talk to about that?
He said that he just had spinal surgery after a tumour on his spine was discovered. While it was harmless, it impacted his ability to walk and caused him to fall.
Falling is a “big killer” for persons with Parkinson’s, according to the Back to the Future actor, along with aspirating food and contracting pneumonia.
One does not die from Parkinson’s disease. One dies from Parkinson’s, Fox said. He has been concerned about its mortality. He is not going to live to be 80.
In an interview last year, he echoed similar sentiments that it had gotten worse. He is 61 years old, and is starting to feel it more.
However, he remained upbeat that it’s been a struggle, however he is happy, he told. He say this since he hope that individuals can find happiness despite their circumstances.
While Fox is realistic about his mortality, he has made the most of his time and devoted his life to discovering a cure for this incurable disease.
In 2000, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which sponsors research to develop improved therapies and a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation is the biggest non-profit sponsor of Parkinson’s disease research, having funded more than $1 billion for research initiatives.
The organization has achieved a significant scientific success by establishing a very accurate biomarker test for Parkinson’s disease.
The test is capable of objectively and reliably detecting the disease at the molecular level — even before the onset of symptoms, the foundation said, adding that it is expected to transform every aspect of drug development and, ultimately, clinical care.
Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and was given a grim prognosis.
It was scary, Fox said in 2015 on The Late Show With David Letterman. He was 29 at the time, and it was the last thing he expected to hear. He believed he’d damaged his shoulder by executing some trick since his pinkie twitched. ‘You have Parkinson’s disease,’ the doctor remarked. The good news is that he still has ten years of labor ahead of him, he remarked.
Years later, in 1998, Fox made his illness public. He has now spoken up about his battles with the disorder, including despair and excessive alcohol consumption.
However, he claims that his wife supported him during his darkest hours.
Fox kept his illness a secret for many years while continuing to act: he was featured in Spin City as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York. For his portrayal, he received an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.
However, due to his health, he left the show during its fourth season.
He continues to perform in recurrent parts on series like Scrubs and The Good Wife, as well as doing voiceover work in films like Stuart Little and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He got his own TV program again in 2012, The Michael J. Fox Program, but it was cancelled after just one season.
However, citing further declines in health, Fox announced in 2020 that he would likely retire from acting once more.
There is a time for everything, Fox wrote in his new book No Time Like the Future.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, a new documentary on Michael J. Fox, will launch on Apple TV+ on May 12.
We send our best wishes to Michael J. Fox as he battles Parkinson’s disease. Michael, keep strong and cheerful! Thank you for all of your essential efforts.
