Michael J. Fox has spoken candidly on the manner in which he wants to die amidst a string of new struggles he’s facing as part of his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s.
The iconic actor was diagnosed with the crippling disease aged just 29 in 1991, and has since grown to become arguably the world’s most famous advocate in highlighting the importance of understanding the condition and finding new treatments.
Through his Michael J Fox Foundation, the Back to the Future star has been able to raise over $2 billion for Parkinson’s research, while Fox himself has striven to live his life as normally as possible, maintaining a hugely successful career in the public spotlight.
In recent years, Fox has co-written a new memoir, Future Boy, reflecting on the 1985 film that launched his career, helping to propel him to stardom before his devastating diagnosis.
Earlier this year, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to advancing understanding of the disease.
That same optimism has long defined Fox’s public life. In a new interview with People, he revealed:
“I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it.
“I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.”
Now, more than 30 years after his diagnosis, Fox admitted that he no longer walks regularly due to the risk of serious injury.
In an interview with The Times, the actor said: “And that’s [the point] where I break stuff, it’s absolutely incredible the stuff I broke. In a three-year period I broke my elbow, I broke my hand, I got a big infection in my hand and I almost lost my finger.”
He added: “I take it easy now, I don’t walk that much anymore. I can walk but it’s not pretty and it’s a bit dangerous.”
Given the debilitating, degenerative nature of his condition, Fox has also come to consider the finer points of his mortality. In the past, he’s highlighted that falling is a major danger for sufferers of Parkinson’s, along with choking on food.
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” Fox previously explained. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”
Along those same lines, Fox revealed a desire to die a peaceful death when his time comes. While promoting his new book, Future Boy, he said: “There are not many people who have had Parkinson’s for 35 years.
“I’d like to just not wake up one day. That’d be really cool. I don’t want it to be dramatic. I don’t want to trip over furniture, smash my head.”
Despite all the trials and tribulations Fox has faced over the past three decades, the actor has always endeavoured to remain upbeat and persistent with regards the finding of a cure and new ways of treating the disease.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he said: “After 35 years or something since I’ve been diagnosed, this is just my life and I don’t think about it much.
“I’m thinking about what we’re going to do as a community to figure this out and find a cure – and short of a cure, [create] treatment centres that are really groundbreaking.”
We’re sending all our prayers to the legend that is Michael J Fox. What an inspiration in the fight against such a terrible illness.
Are you a fan of Fox and his work? Let us know in the comments.
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