Michael J. Fox

W ord association time. I say “Parkinson’s” you say… “Shaking?” “Tremor?” Well, that is the popular notion of what Parkinson’s disease is.  For awhile there, I had a widget at the bottom of this blog to show people who were tweeting using the word “Parkinson’s.”  I discontinued it, because it seems Twitter is mostly populated by idiot teenagers who think Parkinson’s is hilarious.  Be that as it may… As I’ve said before, tremor is NOT the most disabling symptom of PD.  In fact, depending on who you talk to, 25-30  percent of Parkies have little or no tremor at all . No, gentle reader ... Read Full Story

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (Hardcover) by Michael J. Fox (Author) Editorial Reviews There are many words to describe Michael J. Fox : Actor. Husband. Father. Activist. But readers of Always Looking Up will soon add another to the list: Optimist. Michael writes about the hard-won perspective that helped him see challenges as opportunities. Instead of building walls around himself, he developed a personal policy of engagement and discovery: an emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual outlook that has served him throughout his struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Michael’s exit from a very demanding, very public arena offered him the time-and the ... Read Full Story

Michael J. Fox 's newest book, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future , will be published on April 13, 2010 by Hyperion, with the former "Spin City" and 'Back to the Future' star offering advice and encouragement to graduates. "When things go bad, as they sometimes will, don't run, don't hide, stick it out and be scrupulous in facing every part of your fear," the upbeat Fox writes with his trademark optimism. Of course, the 48-year-old star has dealt with his share of adversity, having battled Parkinson's disease for almost two decades. Delivering common sense suggestions about embracing life and ... Read Full Story

Many times, you hear about various Parkinson’s foundations donating large sums of money for research. And that’s all wonderful — that’s what it will take to finally find a cure for this thing. But still, it’s nice to see an instance where a foundation ponies up a significant chunk of change for quality of life issues for Parkinson’s patients. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) neurologists Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, and Daniel Tarsy, MD, have been awarded grants totaling more than $1.5 million from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to conduct investigations aimed at improving the quality of life for ... Read Full Story

Many times, you hear about various Parkinson’s foundations donating large sums of money for research.  And that’s all wonderful — that’s what it will take to finally find a cure for this thing. But still, it’s nice to see an instance where a foundation ponies up a significant chunk of change for quality of life issues for Parkinson’s patients. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) neurologists Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, and Daniel Tarsy, MD, have been awarded grants totaling more than $1.5 million from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to conduct investigations aimed at improving the quality of life for ... Read Full Story