Michael J. Fox Doesn’t ‘Fear’ Death Amid Parkinson’s Battle
By Movieguide® Contributor
BACK TO THE FUTURE star Michael J. Fox went public with his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1998, and as he confronts the reality of the disease, he has declared he isn’t afraid of death.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fox said, “One day I’ll run out of gas. One day I’ll just say, ‘It’s not going to happen. I’m not going out today.’ If that comes, I’ll allow myself that.”
“I’m 62 years old. Certainly, if I were to pass away tomorrow, it would be premature, but it wouldn’t be unheard of,” he added. “And so, no, I don’t fear that.”
However, Fox admitted he does fear “anything that would put my family in jeopardy.”
Family has always been a priority for the actor. This past Mother’s Day, he shared a photo of him and his family at a restaurant.
Fox wrote, “Happy Mother’s Day. Every day we’re together is a love fest. You’re the best!! We love you the mostest!”
After his diagnosis, Fox created the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
“The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today,” its website states.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves. Symptoms start slowly. The first symptom may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder may also cause stiffness or slowing of movement.”
There is currently no cure for the disease. However, through his foundation, Fox has funded over $2 billion in research since 2000.
“In April, a neurology journal published groundbreaking research funded by the foundation, demonstrating how Parkinson’s can now be detected in living people by locating a particular biomarker protein,” Entertainment Tonight reported.
“When I was diagnosed, it was like a drunk driving test,” Fox said about the research. “Now we can say, ‘You have this protein, and we know that you have Parkinson’s.’ It opens the gates for pharmaceutical companies to come in and say, ‘We’ve got a target and we’re going to dump money into it,’ and when they dump money into it, good things happen.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Fox:
Michael J. Fox was presented with an honorary Oscar at this year’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 13th Annual Governors Awards.
Fox was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in honor of his work surrounding Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 1991. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 and the organization has been working to find a cure for the disease.
Woody Harrelson, a longtime friend of Fox, presented him with the award.
“Michael J. Fox sets the ultimate example of how to fight and how to live. And today, he is as beloved for his activism as he is for his acting,” Harrelson said.
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