Despite the amazing progress in the field of medicine at the turn of the 20th century, there’s still no proper cure for a disease as distressing as Parkinson’s among the many other diseases that plague humanity without a cure. Back To The Future star Michael J. Fox happens to be one of the many unfortunate persons to have been diagnosed with this disease.
However, he’s made quite the name for himself in the movie industry because after all, he’s Marty McFly. He’s also made sure that he’s put all of the wealth that he got into good use, investing a huge portion into investigating and finding a cure for the disease, and it’s earned him an honorary Oscar!
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A Brief History Of Michael J. Fox’s Fight Against Parkinson’s
Michael J. Fox was at the top of the world when Back To The Future was released, eventually continuing the franchise and concluding it with a third and final movie in 1990.
He would then get cast in the romantic comedy Doc Hollywood, and as the filming process started he would start showing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. He eventually got diagnosed with the disease in 1991 (at the age of 29!) after the initial symptoms and was told that he would have to bring his blazing acting career to an unfortunate halt in a few years.
Bewildered by the news that was broken to him, the Teen Wolf star would slip into depression, nursing it even more with heavy drinking.
However, he eventually sobered up and decided to tell the world about his unfortunate diagnosis, and to go a step further, he would put his wealth to good use and became an advocate of research on Parkinson’s disease. He later founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation in an effort to help find a cure for what is still now an incurable disease.
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The Michael J. Fox Foundation has now raised over $1.5 billion in research funds, truly a remarkable achievement, and for his efforts, Fox has earned himself an honorary Oscar.
Michael J. Fox Receives Honorary Oscar For Parkinson’s Advocacy
Michael J. Fox, who has never won an Oscar despite his brilliant track record as an actor, just got one for his efforts in advocating as well as helping raise funds for the research in finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
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During the annual Governors Awards ceremony, Fox was given a standing ovation by a huge number of A-list actors in the crowd, such as Tom Hanks and Jennifer Lawrence, as he accepted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He followed it up with the words-
“It is humbling in the deepest way to stand here and accept your kindness.”
To be fair, an Oscar for the Marty McFly actor was long overdue, but it’s best to celebrate the fact that he officially has one to his name now!
Source: USA Today
