Fans have sung a heartfelt Happy Birthday to Michael J. Fox at the Back to the Future Q&A panel at Fan Expo in Philadelphia over the weekend.
The 61-year-old actor - who is best known for his role as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future franchise - was joined by his co-stars Christopher Lloyd, 84, and Tom Wilson, 64, for the occasion.
Fans of the franchise - which followed the adventures of a high school student, McFly, and an eccentric scientist, Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown (Lloyd), as they use a DeLorean car to time travel - were ecstatic to see their childhood heroes on stage at the expo.
In fact, they went one step further and sang a sweet Happy Birthday to Fox, who will turn 62 on Friday (June 9).
Fox's appearance at the event comes a little over a month after he opened up about his more than 30-year battle with Parkinson's, a long-term degenerative disorder that affects the nervous system and motor skills.
The actor first discovered he had the degenerative condition when he was just 29 years old in 1991, after he complained of a twitching little finger and a sore shoulder. He didn't go public with his diagnosis for another seven years, instead dealing with the progressive disorder by drinking excessively behind the scenes.
The Canadian-American actor has been transparent about his struggles in accepting his diagnosis of Parkinson's, especially during its early stages. Though, eventually, he says he learned to see it as a "gift."
In May, Fox appeared on the Australian nighttime current affair talk show The Project, where he revealed that he was "really happy" with the way his life has turned out after dedicating years to finding a cure for Parkinson's.
"I always say Parkinson's is a gift and people say to me, 'How can you possibly describe it as a gift?' And I say, 'It is the gift that keeps on taking, but it is a gift,'" he told the show's host Waleed Aly, via The Daily Mail.
"I'm really happy with the way my life has turned out and I love the chance I have to be of service," Fox added.
He also explained to CBS Sunday Mornings that his mindset isn't always as positive. "It's getting tougher; every day it gets tougher," he said about living with his condition to journalist Jane Pauley. He described Parkinson's as "the gift that keeps on taking" due to his symptoms, which include tremors, impaired movement, and muscle stiffness.
"My life is set up so I can pack Parkinson's along with me if I have to," he said, to which Pauley replied: "You've not squandered any of your capacity, but at some point Parkinson's is going to call for you isn't it?"
Fox then stated: "Yeah, it's banging on the door. I mean, I'm not going to lie it's going to hurt."
The actor has been tireless in his constant campaigning for Parkinson's research, with his own foundation raising funds for research into why the condition affects certain people and whether it can be diagnosed before symptoms even start. The Michael J. Fox Foundation also aims to work on alternative treatments and a potential cure so that other people who live with Parkinson's can have a better quality of life.
Well, one thing's for sure; Fox is one heck of a tough cookie!
