Current:Home > MyMichael J. Fox talks funding breakthrough research for Parkinson's disease-LoTradeCoin
Michael J. Fox talks funding breakthrough research for Parkinson's disease
View Date:2024-12-23 19:07:25
After more than three decades of living with Parkinson's disease, actor Michael J. Fox has raised awareness and over $2 billion worth of research.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991, when he was just 29 years old. In 2000, he established the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Now 62, Fox has lived with Parkinson's for more than half his life. The progressive brain disorder can strip away a person's movement and speech. It has no known cure.
"We didn't have money. We didn't have a voice," Fox said. "And I thought, well, I could step in for these people and raise some hell."
The money that Fox has raised has led to groundbreaking research. Earlier this year, a landmark, clinical study led by his foundation discovered a protein found in spinal fluid that can help detect Parkinson's years before the first symptoms appear. It's not a cure, Fox said, but it shows researchers are "on the right path."
"It's a big spotlight on where we need to go and what we need to focus on," Fox said.
Always in Fox's corner is his wife, Tracy Pollan, who he met on the set of "Family Ties" in 1985. For over three decades, she's been his biggest advocate, fan and partner, at his side every step of the way.
"She's an amazing person and has gone through a lot. It's no small thing," Fox said. "I didn't know what to expect, and neither did she. But she had indicated to me by saying, 'For better or for worse and (in) sickness and in health,' that she was going to hang on and get me through it, or go through it with me. And she has for 30, 35 years."
While Fox tries to keep a positive attitude, he said sometimes, the weight of his condition can be overwhelming.
"The positivity is really sincere. I really feel it, and it's genuine. But it's hard fought, and it's hard won, I should say," Fox explained.
Instead of focusing on the negativity and the fear, Fox said he keeps looking for a way forward even in the darkest moments.
"We can find ways to just give ourselves a break, give ourselves credit for getting through life on life's terms," Fox said. "And in order to do that, you have to stop and say 'It's not that bad. It's not that bad.' ... They say the absence of fear is faith."
- In:
- Health
- Parkinson's Disease
- Michael J. Fox
Nate Burleson is a co-host of "CBS Mornings."
Twitter Facebook InstagramveryGood! (49)
Related
- Fantasy football waiver wire: 10 players to add for NFL Week 11
- Thousands of mourners in Islamabad attend funeral for Pakistani cleric gunned down in broad daylight
- As police lose the war on crime in South Africa, private security companies step in
- Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay's husband files for divorce after four years of marriage
- Pete Rose fans say final goodbye at 14-hour visitation in Cincinnati
- Steelers top Lamar-less Ravens 17-10, will make the playoffs if Buffalo or Jacksonville lose
- Things to know about a school shooting in the small Iowa town of Perry
- On Jan. 6 many Republicans blamed Trump for the Capitol riot. Now they endorse his presidential bid
- Saving for retirement? How to account for Social Security benefits
- Texans wrap up playoff spot with 23-19 victory over Colts
Ranking
- Contained, extinguished and mopping up: Here’s what some common wildfire terms mean
- Russian shelling kills 11 in Donetsk region while Ukraine claims it hit a Crimean air base
- Christian Oliver's Wife Pays Tribute to Actor and Kids After They're Killed in Plane Crash
- Baltimore Ravens' Jadeveon Clowney shows what $750,000 worth of joy looks like
- The Latin Grammys are almost here for a 25th anniversary celebration
- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vows harsh response to deadly bomb attack
- Charcuterie meat sold at Sam's Club recalled due to possible salmonella contamination
- As police lose the war on crime in South Africa, private security companies step in
Recommendation
-
Ex-Duke star Kyle Singler draws concern from basketball world over cryptic Instagram post
-
Why Eva Mendes Likely Won't Join Barbie’s Ryan Gosling on Golden Globes Red Carpet
-
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney shows up to basketball game with black eye
-
Student loan borrowers face long hold times and inaccurate bills, feds find
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
How Jennifer Love Hewitt Left Hollywood to Come Back Stronger Than Ever
-
Texas Tech says Pop Isaacs 'remains in good standing' despite lawsuit alleging sexual assault
-
South Korea says North Korea has fired artillery near their sea boundary for a third straight day.