By Mallory Mattingly
The Michael J. Fox Foundation just turned 25, and its founder, Michael J. Fox, still hopes to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
“We need to get it done,” he said of finding a cure. “We’re in business to go out of business.”
The actor was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s in 1991 at the age of 29. Since then, he’s dedicated his life to finding a cure, and his foundation has endowed a total of $2.5 billion for the cause since its founding in 2000.
The foundation defines the disease as “when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Because PD can cause tremor, slowness, stiffness, and walking and balance problems, it is called a ‘movement disorder.'”
“There’s no timeline, there’s no series of stages that you go through — not in the same way that you would, say, with prostate cancer,” Fox said of his prognosis on Sunday. “It’s much more mysterious and enigmatic.”
Related: Michael J. Fox Continues to Make Strides Fighting Parkinson’s
Fox’s foundation aims to “accelerate the next generation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatments” through funding projects, “spearheading solutions,” uniting different groups working towards the same goal and “doing whatever it takes to drive faster knowledge turns for the benefit of every life touched by PD.”
In June, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, along with The American Parkinson Disease Association and The Parkinson’s Foundation, called for federal investment into research.
“It is imperative that we preserve and build on this progress by increasing investment in our national scientific enterprise through NIH on behalf of the 1 million Americans living with Parkinson’s, their families and the millions more whose lives are touched by neurodegenerative disease, such as Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This is the future our country needs and deserves,” a press release said.
The groups emphasized on Instagram that “a robustly funded, collaborative NIH is a cornerstone of the nation’s budget today and in the future.”
The post continued: “Decades of dedicated scientific investigation and bipartisan support for NIH have advanced the search for next-generation treatments and brought us to the brink of transformative breakthroughs in Parkinson’s care.”
In January, Fox traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can receive.
“Michael was among 19 awardees across civil rights, philanthropy, arts and entertainment who received the once-in-a-lifetime honor,” the Fox Focus reported. “In typical fashion, he deflected credit for the award directly back to the patients, families, and researchers who work hand in hand with the Foundation to cure Parkinson’s.”
When he accepted the award, Fox urged government officials and elected leaders to “do everything in their power to end Parkinson’s once and for all.”
While Parkinson’s continues to devastate millions, Fox and his foundation won’t give up until a cure is discovered.
Read Next: Michael J. Fox Doesn’t ‘Fear’ Death Amid Parkinson’s Battle
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