Michael J. Fox Gives Update on Parkinson’s Disease Battle, Marriage, & Mental Health
Michael J. Fox recently appeared on CBS Mornings and opened up about his ongoing battle with Parkison’s disease. He was first diagnosed in 1991 at the age of 29 and has been sharing his ups and downs over the years with fans. Now, at 62, he revealed that he once told his wife of 35 years, Tracy Pollan, that she didn’t need to stick around to help him during his hard times with Parkinson’s.
He explained, “It’s been great for me, I don’t know how it is for her. I love Tracy obviously and she’s an amazing person and has gone through a lot. I realize she has a life separate from me having Parkinson’s, from me being Alex Keaton or Marty McFly, she’s a person. I think that’s why it’s gone okay. She had indicated to me by saying, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. She was able to get me through it, and go through it with me. And she has for 35 years.”
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He added, “We knew the bus was coming and we knew it was going to hit, but we didn’t know how far away it was or how fast it was going. At any time she would have been forgiven to say, ‘I’m just gonna step out.’ But, she didn’t do that.” They wed in 1988 and have four children together, who are now all grown up.
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Fox added about his battle with Parkinson’s and his mental health that he sometimes feels depressed or uncertain about the future but he always tries to go back to being positive. He said that it can be hard to be positive at times but his work with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help find a cure for Parkinson’s and help others who don’t have access to the best treatments helps him stay the course.
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He shared that since starting the foundation in 2000, it has raised over $2 billion to help research Parkinson’s. While there is still no cure, Fox says that scientists are on the right path and have discovered ways to detect the disease earlier in hopes of easing symptoms and giving people a better quality of life.
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