In a heart-wrenching interview, a beloved actor courageously shares the harsh reality of living with a debilitating disease and the relentless fight for a cure.
Acclaimed actor Michael J. Fox recently revealed in an interview that his ongoing struggle with Parkinson’s disease has grown increasingly challenging as time passes.
At 61, Fox was diagnosed with the progressive and debilitating condition three decades ago. He admitted to “CBS Sunday Morning” that he doesn’t envision celebrating his 80th birthday. When interviewer Jane Pauley remarked that Fox had certainly made the most of his time, he acknowledged the harsh reality of diseases like Parkinson’s: eventually, the illness takes over, and it’s simply one’s time.
Fox candidly shared that the disease is becoming harder to manage. “Yeah, it’s, it’s banging on the door,” he said. “I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher.”
In addition to Parkinson’s, the “Back to the Future” star has faced other health challenges recently, which he attributes to his body’s gradual deterioration. Although doctors successfully removed a benign spinal tumor, complications from the surgery made walking more difficult for him. He has also suffered multiple fractures in his hand, face, elbow, and arm. Fox highlighted that one of the biggest threats to those with Parkinson’s is their unsteadiness and propensity to fall.
Moreover, the risk of aspirating food and subsequently developing pneumonia is another concern. Fox explained that people don’t die from Parkinson’s but rather from the disease, and it’s the small complications that can be fatal. “So – so I’ve been – I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it.”
Fox received his Parkinson’s diagnosis at just 29 years old, and he continued acting for a while with measures in place to conceal his symptoms from viewers. Since then, he has dedicated much of his time to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), which he established in hopes of eventually finding a cure for others.
“A lot of work lies ahead of us. But this is a responsibility we have, and we want people to know someone is trying to get this work done,” Fox expressed his unwavering commitment to finding a cure during an interview with Neurology Now a decade ago. “I know without fail that we are getting closer—day by day, year by year—to the breakthroughs that will make finding a cure inevitable.”
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Sources: DailyWire, BrainAndLife
