The trials and tribulations of Michael J Fox. 1. What disease did Michael J Fox have? a. Parkinson’s disease

2. How has it effected his life? a. Unable to work as much a lot of tremors.

3. What pushed him to fight? a. Mainly his family and his love for people.

4. What is he doing today to help people with the disease? a. He started the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help people with the disease because there is no cure.

Mr. Fox was first diagnosed when he noticed a "twitch" in his left little finger while he was working on the set of the 1991 film Doc Hollywood, he told People magazine. Parkinson disease has several classic signs and symptoms including tremors, stiffness of the limbs, a mask-like face, gait disturbance (difficulty walking),depression ,and, late in the disease, dementia. The tremor is characteristically a resting tremor that especially involves the hands and fingers. It is described as a "pill rolling" tremor, a name that harks back to the similarity between the tremor's movement and that required to "roll a pill" in pharmacies past. In the early stages of Parkinson disease, the tremor stops when the person does something active, such as walking. Mr. Fox said that he paced during an interview to quell his tremor.
In late 1999, Fox made the startling announcement that he had been battling Parkinson's disease since 1991, and had even undergone brain surgery to alleviate tremors. Despite Spin City's incredible success and a showering of Emmy and Golden Globe awards, Fox announced in early 2000 that he would leave the show, which he also executive produced, to spend time with his family, and to concentrate on raising money and awareness for Parkinson's disease - including the May 2000 launch of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Fox won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his final season on Spin City, along with the respect and support of the entire Hollywood community.
They say it takes one to know one, and this couldn't be truer in the arena of celebrity foundations. Some of the most effective charities are those backed or formed by a celebrity who has personally experienced a devastating illness and is able to be an effective advocate for research and funding. Michael J. Fox is a prime example of this: He has used his traumatic ordeal with Parkinson's disease to play a forceful role in waging war against this debilitating illness. One of Fox's main strategies in his foundation is appearing before Congress on behalf of Parkinson's patients, foregoing his medications that allow him some