MICHAEL J. FOX OPENS UP ON ‘DARKEST MOMENT’ SINCE PARKINSON’S DIAGNOSIS
“Back To The Future” star Michael J. Fox has delved deeper into the ‘darkest moment’ he has faced since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The 62-year-old actor has been living with Parkinson’s for more than two decades, having first made his diagnosis public in 1998.
By openly discussing the impacts on his life, Fox has contributed to raising awareness for the condition that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements.
In 2020, the actor shared with People an ordeal from two years earlier when a noncancerous tumor was rapidly growing on his spine.
He underwent surgery to prevent paralysis, and the surgeons had to be cautious during the tumor’s removal to avoid further damage.
After the operation, Fox had to learn to walk again, believing the worst was behind him. However, a few months later, while preparing to film a cameo in a Spike Lee movie, he fell and suffered a severe arm break.
“That was definitely my darkest moment,” he admitted.
“I just snapped. I was leaning against the wall in my kitchen, waiting for the ambulance to come, and I felt like, ‘This is as low as it gets for me’.”
Reflecting on that experience in an interview with Town & Country earlier this month, Fox stated that the broken arm in 2018 was ‘nothing’ now.
Since then, the actor has broken his other arm and shoulder, shattered his orbital bone and cheek, and broken his hand, leading to an infection.
“I almost lost it,” he said of his hand. “It was a tsunami of misfortune.”
Experiencing falls is not uncommon for the actor nowadays, having lived with Parkinson’s for so many years, but he remains unafraid of his future.
When asked about his fears, Fox explained: “Anything that would put my family in jeopardy.”
For himself, he continued: “One day I’ll run out of gas. One day I’ll just say, ‘It’s not going to happen. I’m not going out today.’
“If that comes, I’ll allow myself that. I’m 62 years old. Certainly, if I were to pass away tomorrow, it would be premature, but it wouldn’t be unheard of. And so, no, I don’t fear that.”
A couple of years after announcing his diagnosis, Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, aiming to fund scientists working toward finding a cure for the disease.
“It seemed straightforward to me,” he explained, adding that the science was ‘ahead of the money’ in terms of research.
“We just have to throw the money at the right people,” he concluded.
