{"id":10052,"date":"2025-12-08T18:09:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T18:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/?p=10052"},"modified":"2025-12-08T18:09:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T18:09:52","slug":"michael-j-fox-credits-his-family-as-his-superpower-in-ongoing-parkinsons-disease-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/strongermarriages\/2025\/12\/michael-j-fox-credits-his-family-as-his-superpower-in-ongoing-parkinsons-disease-battle.html","title":{"rendered":"Michael J. Fox Credits His Family as His \u201cSuperpower\u201d in Ongoing Parkinson’s Disease Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jaguar PS \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Michael J. Fox continues to face Parkinson\u2019s disease with courage and humor\u2014but he says his real strength comes from home. Surrounded by his wife and four children, the beloved actor recently shared how his family\u2019s love remains his \u201csuperpower\u201d as he lives with the degenerative disease he was diagnosed with at just 29 years old.<\/p>\n

The 64-year-old star attended the \u201cA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson\u2019s\u201d event in New York City, where he reflected on the people who\u2019ve stood by him through it all. \u201cThey\u2019re so supportive and so great,\u201d Fox told People magazine. \u201cAll these people are friends of mine, family, and it\u2019s really great to see them, and I walk on the red carpet, surprised to see them, and I think, \u2018Well, why should I be surprised?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve always been there for me, and they continue to be there for me year after year,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Fox and his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, married in 1988 and are parents to son Sam, 36, twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 30, and their youngest, Esm\u00e9, 24. Pollan said their children are \u201cjust incredibly supportive\u201d of their dad. \u201cMichael is so optimistic, which is wonderful and really helps him, but it\u2019s really important to also understand that this is a huge challenge,\u201d she told People. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for the family, for the caregivers and, obviously, for the patient. So, it\u2019s important to acknowledge that and acknowledge that it\u2019s not just all sorts of easy. It\u2019s not easy. It\u2019s hard for them, but they show up, and they\u2019re there for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pollan added, \u201cMichael was diagnosed before the girls were born and very, very early in Sam\u2019s life, so it\u2019s kind of all they know. And they\u2019re just incredibly supportive. They\u2019re very helpful to me. I lean on them a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fox\u2019s journey with Parkinson\u2019s began with a small tremor in his pinky finger while filming Doc Hollywood in 1991. Since then, his faith, family, and determination have carried him through a 35-year battle with the disease. He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson\u2019s Research in 2000, which has now raised more than $2.5 billion for research\u2014the largest nonprofit of its kind in the world.<\/p>\n

Despite his struggles, Fox has never lost his sense of gratitude. \u201cThere are not many people who have had Parkinson\u2019s for 35 years,\u201d he told The Times. \u201cI\u2019d like to just not wake up one day. That\u2019d be really cool. I don\u2019t want it to be dramatic. I don\u2019t want to trip over furniture, smash my head.\u201d<\/p>\n

He admits his health has brought physical setbacks\u2014broken bones, surgeries, and lost abilities\u2014but he faces them with humility and humor. \u201cI take it easy now,\u201d Fox said. \u201cI don\u2019t walk that much anymore. I can walk, but it\u2019s not pretty and it\u2019s a bit dangerous. So I just roll that into my life, you know \u2014 no pun intended.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Fox, gratitude outweighs grief. Reflecting on his fans, he shared, \u201cI wanted to express my gratitude to them. They\u2019ve given me so much, my life is so amazing. The disease sucks, but \u2026 people don\u2019t feel sorry for me. They see me as a positive force.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through his optimism and unwavering family support, Michael J. Fox continues to inspire millions\u2014proving that faith, love, and perseverance can turn even life\u2019s hardest battles into stories of hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael J. Fox continues to face Parkinson\u2019s disease with courage and humor\u2014but he says his real strength comes from home. Surrounded by his wife and four children, the beloved actor recently shared how his family\u2019s love remains his \u201csuperpower\u201d as he lives with the degenerative disease he was diagnosed with at just 29 years old.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":10055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMichael J. Fox Credits His Family as His \u201cSuperpower\u201d in Ongoing Parkinson's Disease Battle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Michael J. 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