‘Absence of Fear is Faith’: Michael J. Fox Discusses Life with Parkinson’s
By Movieguide® Contributor
Michael J. Fox opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s and shared the good he has been able to achieve through his experience with the disease.
“The positivity is really sincere. I really feel it, and it’s genuine,” Fox said. “But it’s hard fought, and it’s hard won, I should say.”
“We can find ways to just give ourselves a break, give ourselves credit for getting through life on life’s terms,” he continued. “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,” he added.
While Fox has found much strength to fight within himself since being diagnosed with the disease in 1991, he’s also extremely grateful for his wife Tracy Pollan’s support.
“She’s an amazing person and has gone through a lot. It’s no small thing,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect, and neither did she. But she 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.”
“She has for 30, 35 years,” Fox continued. “At any time, she would have been forgiven to say, ‘I’m just gonna step out.’ But she didn’t do that.”
With the support of his family, Fox has been able to create awareness for the brain disorder and greatly advance the research for a cure. He created the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000, which has conducted over a dozen clinical trials since its inception thanks to raising nearly $2 billion from the actor’s support.
“They didn’t have money. They didn’t have a voice,” Fox said. “And I thought, ‘Well, I could step in for these people and raise some hell.’”
Earlier this year, a team of researchers aided by the foundation discovered a breakthrough that will greatly help studies of the disease in the future. The scientists found a protein in spinal fluid that can help identify those living with the disease regardless of whether other symptoms have started to show.
“It’s not a cure,” Fox said. “But it’s a big spotlight on where we need to go and what we need to focus on. We know that we are on the right path, and we are very proud.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Michael J. Fox is opening up about a year filled with injuries that compounded his health struggles, but he chose to remain positive.
Fox first received his bombshell Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1991. The disease leaves him vulnerable for other injuries and illness. In 2018, he underwent spinal cord surgery and broke his left arm.
Yet 2022 presented even more challenges.
“I broke my cheek, then my hand, then my shoulder, had a replacement shoulder put in and broke my [right] arm, then I broke my elbow,” Fox told People. “I’m 61 years old, and I’m feeling it a little bit more.”
Though the injuries are not specifically related to Parkinson’s, the disease affects his balance, which led to the falls.
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