MICHAEL J Fox was spotted taking a tumble on stage during an interview panel at a Back to the Future fan event.
The beloved star, 61, recently admitted his Parkinson’s battle is “getting harder, ” confessing he is in “intense pain.”
7
7
7
7
Michael, 61, opened up about his condition in the ground-breaking documentary Still, admitting: “I’m in pain, intense pain.”
The actor was just 29 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s an incurable degenerative brain disorder, which is slowly robbing him of the ability to control his body.
Over the weekend Michael joined his co-stars Christopher Lloyd, 84, and Tom Wilson, 64, for the Fan Expo event.
Walking to the sofa on stage Michael appeared to catch his foot and take a tumble, thankfully landing on the soft couch and not the hard floor.
Looking dapper in dark jeans, a white T-shirt, a denim jacket and a cap, the dad-of-four quickly recovered to carry on with the show with his trademark good humour and style.
The trio were there to talk about the iconic 1985 sci-fi classic Back to the Future, which they all stared in.
After the success of the film and Michael’s other movie, the supernatural thriller Teen Wolf, the star was, in his own words “bigger than bubblegum.”
He bought a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce and went out partying with pals, including close drinking buddy Woody Harrelson.
During a trip to Thailand the pair drank a mix of cobra blood and whisky prepared by the locals.
Michael recalls: “The booze was free and I was usually guest of honour.”
Over the next decade, he made 16 more movies, including two Back To The Future sequels and the rom-com Doc Hollywood.
Michael’s fall over the weekend comes after he confessed that living with Parkinson’s disease is “getting tougher” every day.
Speaking to Jane Pauley for CBS Mornings, the star opened up about the disease and what life is like living with an incurable condition.
He said: “Yeah, it’s banging on the door. I mean, I’m not gonna lie, it’s getting harder. It’s getting tougher.
Read Related Also: Kate Middleton ‘Takes the Lead’ While Prince William ‘Not as Confident’ During Royal Engagement Says Body Language Expert
“Every day it gets tougher, but that’s the way it is. I mean, who do I see about that?
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s. So I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”
Fox revealed his diagnosis in 1998 and announced he was entering a “second retirement” in 2020.
Finding an answer to why an estimated 137,000 people in Britain have Parkinson’s came a step closer last month — thanks to the actor.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation announced the discovery of the first spinal-fluid test able to detect the presence of the disease in humans.
It can even find signs before any symptoms develop.
Michael, whose foundation has raised an astonishing £1.2 billion in a bid to cure the disease, said: “This will crack wide open our ability to develop next-generation drugs that will benefit everyone who is living with the disease.”
With bold optimism, he even adds: “We are standing on the threshold of being able to prevent it altogether.”
7
7
7
What is Parkinson’s, how is it treated, what are the symptoms of the disease and is it hereditary?
Parkinson’s is a condition where parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. The disorder affects around one in 500 people.
According to the NHS, symptoms can include:
- involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremors)
- slow movement
- stiff and inflexible muscles
- depression and anxiety
- balance problems
- loss of sense of smell
- problems sleeping
- memory problems
How is Parkinson’s treated and is it hereditary?
The condition is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the brain, which then leads to a reduction in dopamine.
Dopamine is vital for regulating movement in the body – so a reduction is responsible for many of the symptoms experienced by those with Parkinson’s.
It is unclear what causes the loss of nerve cells – but many experts think that both genetic and environmental factors are to blame.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s – but there are treatments available to ease the main symptoms and maintain quality of life.
These include:
- supportive treatments – such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy
- medication
- in some cases, brain surgery
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;
n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,
document,’script’,’
fbq(‘init’, ‘752905198150451’);
fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);
