‘It’s getting harder’: Michael J. Fox ‘s heartbreaking health update

Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox has bravely shared the ongoing challenges he faces in his battle with Parkinson’s disease, acknowledging that the difficulty of his situation has increased over time.

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, Fox revealed his condition to the public in 1998. Ever since, he has devoted a significant portion of his life to researching the disease, donating millions of dollars towards its eradication and working to reduce the stigma associated with it.

Although Michael J. Fox has demonstrated unwavering determination in the face of his debilitating disease, he has recently shared that he has been facing increasingly difficult challenges in his day-to-day life.

“I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. I’m not gonna be 80,” he revealed to CBS Sunday Morning. 

“I’m not going to lie, it’s getting hard, it’s getting harder. Every day is tougher. But, but that’s the way it is.”

Fox offered further insight into the impact of Parkinson’s, shining a light on the dangers he regularly faces since his diagnosis.

“(Falling) is a big killer with Parkinson’s,” Fox said.

“It’s falling, and aspirating food and pneumonia – all these subtle ways that (it) gets you.

“You don’t die from Parkinson’s.

“You die with Parkinson’s.”

In “Still,” the new documentary about his life, Michael J. Fox reflects on superstardom, Parkinson’s research that just announced a breakthrough, and his very public battle against the disease. https://t.co/76MjmKZZZm pic.twitter.com/2DoF0OEAq2

— CBS Sunday Morning ???? (@CBSSunday) April 30, 2023

Despite the difficulty he faces, Fox has maintained a positive approach to his condition, explaining that he relies on gratitude to see him through.

“I recognise how hard this is for people, and I recognise how hard it is for me, but I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff,” he explained.

“And I realise, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable.

“If you can find something to be grateful for, then you can find something to look forward to, and you carry on.”

The actor’s tireless efforts to help find a cure for the disease saw him recently receive an honorary Oscar at the Academy’s 13th Governors Awards last November 2022.

At the time, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Fox would be getting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his “incredible contributions to cinema and the world at large”.

“Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions,” Academy President David Rubin said in a statement.

Since establishing the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, the actor has raised more than AUD$ 2.25 billion (US$ 1.5 billion) into research for the disease.