Michael J Fox anonymously joined Parkinson's chatrooms to discuss his diagnosis after going public
Michael J Fox secretly joined Parkinson's chatrooms after going public with his diagnosis to see how they reacted to him living with the disease.
Michael J Fox anonymously joined online chatrooms for people with Parkinson's to see how they reacted to his public disclosure of living with the disease.
The Back to the Future actor was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disorder, which causes uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination, in 1991 at the age of 29, and he went public with his diagnosis seven years later.
After being widely praised, he jokingly thought to himself: "Well, f*** you! I have Parkinson’s, and you’re celebrating."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael, 65, added: "I got it. People back then would never in a million years tell you they had Parkinson’s."
However, going public with his health battle affected his 66-year-old wife, actress Tracy Pollan.
Michael explained to The Hollywood Reporter: "It was hell on Tracy, it was really hard on her - and it still is because it’s always changing.
"I said to her, 'I have to go all the way here. No half measures.' I started to understand what it was like for these people who didn’t have the options or the choices I had, didn’t have the connections and the reason to be optimistic."
He added: "I needed to normalise it and just be that all the time. I said, 'I have to not hide this. F*** vanity.'"
Telling the public about his Parkinson's diagnosis allowed the Family Ties alum to connect with people on a much deeper level.
During an interview with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in February, he said: "A long time ago, when I decided to disclose that I had Parkinson’s - and it came after a long deliberative process - I said I need to see where this fits in my world and see how I can use it.
"And that’s what I’ve done. As a result, when people see me or talk to me, there is a connection that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. There’s an understanding."
Michael previously explained how he tries to keep his sense of humour "intact" amid his battle with Parkinson's, which causes uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
He told PEOPLE magazine: "It's hard for me. But I gotta keep it intact."
In the years since his diagnosis, the entertainer has established the Michael J. Fox Foundation - which is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's.
