As well as being a beloved actor, Michael J. Fox is known for showing strength amid his ongoing battle with Parkinson's Disease. The actor, 61, first <a href="https://vt.co/entertainment/michael-j-fox-says-living-with-parkinsons-sucks-but-he-has-had-a-great-life-i-have-no-regrets">discovered he had the degenerative condition</a> when he was just 29 years old in 1991, after he complained of a twitching little finger and a sore shoulder. Fox didn't go public with his diagnosis for another seven years, dealing with the progressive disorder by drinking excessively behind the scenes. He has since gone on to raise awareness of Parkinson's and even has <a href="https://vt.co/entertainment/michael-j-foxs-foundation-has-funded-groundbreaking-parkinsons-research-its-huge">his own foundation which helps to fund research</a> into the condition and potential treatments and cures. <img class="wp-image-1263200845 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/03/2KFRADH-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1652" />[[imagecaption|| Fox has tirelessly campaigned for Parkinson's research through his own foundation. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy]] 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." Fox - who is best known for starring in the sitcom Family Ties and the Back To The Future movie franchise - appeared on the Australian nighttime current affair talk show The Project this week, 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 <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12094269/Michael-J-Fox-says-battle-Parkinsons-gift-heartwarming-interview.html?ito=social-facebook&fbclid=IwAR2M6zaiP3BnEIdMCY-ESoBQhZKrjoFy6euJS61rie2uMxd1NnYS3WCy82M" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a>. "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. [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGl6e4SQUQU]] Earlier this month, Fox explained to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/michael-j-fox-on-parkinsons-and-maintaining-optimism/#x">CBS Sunday Mornings</a> 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." He recalled the many health issues he has dealt with over the years, telling the outlet: "I had spinal surgery. I had a tumor on my spine. And it was benign, but it messed up my walking. And then, started to break stuff. Broke this arm, and I broke this arm, I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand. Which is a big killer with Parkinson's. It's falling and aspirating food and getting pneumonia. All these subtle ways that get ya." Fox 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. <h6>Featured image credit: SOPA Images Limited / Alamy</h6>

Michael J Fox calls his Parkinson’s a ‘gift’: ‘I love the chance I have to be of service’

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