The Hollywood star Michael J. Fox of “Family Ties” and Back to the future Fame has been battling Parkinson’s disease for more than thirty years, so he’s had quite a bit of time to think about his own mortality. After this decades-long struggle, the 62-year-old star explains why he is no longer afraid of death.
Michael J. Fox pic.twitter.com/spZFH9QCHa
— Lennon (@Lennon1496773) October 29, 2023
‘One day I’ll run out of gas’
“One day I’m going to run out of gas,” Fox told Town & Country. “One day I’ll just say, ‘That’s not going to happen. I’m not going out today.’ When that comes, I’ll allow myself that. I am 62 years old. Sure, if I died tomorrow it would be premature, but it wouldn’t be unheard of. And so no, I’m not afraid of that.”
However, when asked what he fears, Fox replied: “Anything that would endanger my family.”
Fox has been married to his wife Tracey Pollan since 1988 and they share four adult children together: Sam, 34, twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 28, and Esmé, 22. Fox explained that he often has nightmares about losing his wife or makes someone else fall in love with him. of his children while walking on the street, causing them to be hit by a bus.
Tracey Pollen and Michael J. Fox pic.twitter.com/sW7ly6Tpif
— Anthony Fitzpatrick (@KwizkingAnthony) October 13, 2019
Related: Michael J. Fox gives sad update on his health after battling Parkinson’s for more than 30 years
Fox’s Parkinson’s Battle
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 when he was just 29 years old, and although divorces following such a diagnosis are common, Pollan has never left his side over the decades.
“Everyone says ‘in sickness and in health,’ but sometimes it’s not that easy,” says the couple’s longtime friend Cam Neely, the former hockey star and president of the Boston Bruins. “Everyone thinks about what Mike is going through, but you can only imagine what Tracy is going through. You can just tell how much she loves him, but one thing about Tracy is that she is a strong, tough woman and will not tolerate any BS.
Congratulations on your 30th anniversary Michael J Fox and Tracey Pollan @realmikefox @PollanFamilie pic.twitter.com/Aa33kzTj8I
— HargiHero💙💚 (@HargiHero) July 17, 2018
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Fox would go public with his diagnosis in 1998 after learning that the National Enquirer was preparing to expose his health struggles to the world.
“When I came out, I felt like I was standing there naked in the town square saying, ‘Look at me. This is what it is,” he recalled. “What I didn’t realize was how many other people wanted to do that.”
In 2000, Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has since raised more than $1 billion for Parkinson’s research.
Michael J. Fox, the main character of “Back to the Future,” was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 when he was just 29 years old. He was told to retire from the stage, but he did not stop being an actor. #ALI pic.twitter.com/6ivkUdj9Er
— Ali✨ (@Shaik01ha) November 4, 2023
Related: Michael J. Fox Shares Hug With ‘Back To The Future’ Co-Star Christopher Lloyd As They Reunite 37 Years After The Film’s Release
‘One day at a time’
Fox previously opened up about his own mortality in an interview with People Magazine in May.
“I really live one day at a time,” he said. “I live for every moment and I love every day. The average age of death is 77 years. It’s not that far yet.”
That said, Fox is grateful for everything he has been able to accomplish despite his diagnosis.
“If you had told me at 29, when they had just been diagnosed, that at 61 I would still be working on a movie to promote, that life would be so full, I would have could never have imagined,” he said. “I am cautiously optimistic, but mostly optimistic, not so much cautious, as my family would say.”
Watch Fox talk more about this in the video below.
We could all learn a lot from the resilience Fox has shown during such a difficult decades-long health battle. Please join us in praying for the well-being of Fox in the years to come!
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