The Back to the Future Star Michael J Fox has been trying to overcome his fear of having a progressive neurological disorder for over thirty years now. The Family Ties actor, who is also called by the name Michael Andrew Fox OC, has been fighting this disease since 1991, and in a recent exclusive with CBS News, he has opened up about his journey.
When CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson asked Fox if he ever suffers from depression due to his diagnosis, he was quick to answer, “Yesterday at 3:57 in the afternoon.”
Despite being admitted and having his moments of depression and uncertainty, he tried to stay optimistic, which became his strength. In 1998, he first time made the diagnosis public and retired from acting. He got involved with the Michael J Fox Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving clinical trials and therapy for those who have been diagnosed newly or are living with the disease.
In the interview with CBS, he says, “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. We can find ways to just give ourselves a break, give ourselves credit for getting through life on life’s terms. And, in order to do that, you have to stop and say ‘It’s not that bad. It’s not that bad.'”
That is when he coined an inspiring line: “They say the absence of fear is faith.” His foundation has helped many since 2000, and the fight against the disease for people who have no resources for the same as it gives him a new reason to live. Mr. Fox said, “They didn’t have money. They didn’t have a voice and I thought, ‘Well, I could step in for these people and raise some hell.'”
The foundation has raised over $2 Billion for research and development of better treatments for Parkinson’s. As per Fox News, “In April, an international team of researchers conducted a clinical study led by Fox’s foundation that resulted in a breakthrough in the understanding and treatment of Parkinson’s.” The study has revealed a spinal fluid that can help detect the disease early and also show vulnerable individuals who have still not shown symptoms. The research establishes a lab-test method that can show people with Parkinson’s and those who are prone to it in the future. If the diagnosis improves, then new treatments can be provided.
Michael J. Fox gets scared amid Parkinson's disease battle, but 'the absence of fear is faith' https://t.co/52beyz7rT4 via @foxnews
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It is not a cure, as per Mr. Fox, but a starting point on where one should go and where one can focus. He says, “So, we know that we are on the right path, and we are very proud.” He has been married for 35 years to Tracy Pollan, who has taken his side and been a supportive wife. Describing her, he says, “She’s an amazing person and has gone through a lot. It’s no small thing. I didn’t know what to expect, and neither did she.”
He also added, 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. At any time, she would have been forgiven to say, ‘I’m just gonna step out.’ But she didn’t do that.” The Teen Wolf actor has been married since 1988 and has a 34-year-old son, the oldest, twin daughters, and the youngest daughter of 22 years old.