'I'm not going to make 80!' Michael J. Fox speaks out about suffering from Parkinson's disease
Michael J. Fox does not think he will live to see his 80th birthday as he speaks out about his Parkinson's disease.
Michael J. Fox does not think he will live to see his 80th birthday.
The 61-year-old actor was diagnosed with brain disorder Parkinson's disease - which causes uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination - when he was at the age of 30 and admitted that he has been thinking about his own "mortality" in recent times.
Speaking in a preview clip for his upcoming appearance on 'CBS Sunday Mornings', he said: "My life is set up so...I can pack Parkinson's along with me if I have to. You don’t die from Parkinson's. You die with Parkinson's. I've been thinking about the mortality of it. I'm not gonna be 80. I'm not going to lie, it's getting hard, it's getting harder. Every day is tougher. But, but that's - that's the way it is."
In 2000, the 'Back to the Future' star set up the Michael J. Fox Foundation - which aims to find a cure for the disease - and he recently explained that his team at the charity had helped in the breakthrough that has found a biomarker for Parkinson's.
He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "It's a biomarker, a way to identify the disease before the disease is present. By the time I was diagnosed, I had a little twitch in my pinky but...with this, we can identify the disease really early and help progression and essentially cure ahead of the game."
Earlier this year, Michael insisted that despite his health struggles, he "didn't have time to feel sorry" for himself.
Speaking after a screening of his documentary 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' at the south by Southwest Film Festival, Michael was asked how he "mobilised" people to care about Parkinson's and replied: "I didn't have a choice. This is it. I have to give everything I have, and it's not lip service. I show up and do the best I can.
"Pity is a benign form of abuse. I can feel sorry for myself, but I don't have time for that. There is stuff to be learned from this, so let's do that and move on."
