It’s no great secret that Michael J. Fox has been struggling with his health of late. The Back To The Future star spoke candidly in his new documentary, Still, about the daily battles he faces with Parkinson’s, admitting that the condition is taking its toll now more than ever before.
As such, it’s hardly a surprise that alarm bells sounded off when the actor took a tumble as he walked across a stage at the “Back to the Future” expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Sunday.
After being introduced to a panel that included Christopher Lloyd and Tom Wilson, the 61-year-old momentarily lost his balance and fell. Fortunately, his blow was softened by a nearby couch, and Fox was able to quickly recover and resume his Q&A duties.
Nevertheless, video footage of his fall sparked worry among fans. A clip was soon uploaded to social media, with viewers expressing concern for Fox’s health.
In a new update offered to the New York Post, however, the star’s rep played down the seriousness of the fall.
“Michael has Parkinson’s,” the rep said. “It’s no secret that people with Parkinson’s fall.
“If you watch the video he immediately jumps to feet and continues with the Q and A. If you have any other inquiries about Michael and living with PD, please watch his documentary ‘STILL’ streaming on AppleTV +.”
While that’s undoubtedly good news, there remains an undeniable air of lingering apprehension over Fox’s well being following a series of candid remarks the Teen Wolf star made to CBS Sunday Morning last month.
Fox confirmed in an interview that living with Parkinson’s – a condition he was famously diagnosed with in 1991, before going public with the news in 1998 – was getting progressively more difficult.
“I’m not gonna be 80,” Fox said. “It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher.”
Coincidentally, Fox claimed that ‘falling’ is a “big killer” for people suffering from Parkinson’s, alongside getting pneumonia.
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s,” Fox said. “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”
In an interview with People Magazine last year, the actor said: “It’s been a struggle, but I’m happy. I say that because I hope on some level people can find happiness in spite of what they’re going through.”
While Fox is realistic about his mortality, he has certainly been making the most of whatever time he has, and has dedicated his life to finding a cure to this incurable disease.
He established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which funds research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s. The foundation is the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research and has raised over $1 billion for research projects.
Just recently, the foundation made a huge research breakthrough after discovering a highly accurate biomarker test for Parkinson’s disease.
“The test is capable of objectively and reliably detecting the disease at the molecular level — even before the onset of symptoms,” the foundation said, expecting it will “transform every aspect of drug development and ultimately clinical care.”
Watch the video of Fox’s fall below:
Here’s to wishing all the very best for Michael J. Fox moving forward. What a truly inspiring character, and a fantastic actor to boot.
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