A couple of weeks ago, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Llyod blew up Twitter with an emotional reunion at the New York Comic Con. In the clip, Michael was walked on stage and by an assistant. When Christopher came out a moment later, Michael struggled to get up to embrace him. I assumed it was his Parkinson’s disease. But in his profile in People this week, I learned his mobility issues were due to his Parkinson’s, but not in the way I thought. Michael’s been recovering from injuries resulted from his disease, including breaking multiple bones. Fortunately, after a particularly difficult couple of years, Michael is on the mend and feeling better than he has in a while.
Michael J. Fox, famed for his optimism and tireless activism around Parkinson’s disease, is in a playful mood on a recent day in New York. “I’m rocking and rolling,” says the star, who just finished playing air guitar during a shoot for PEOPLE’s Kindness cover, on stands now.
Following a tough year of breaks and recovery, there’s a mischievous glint in Fox’s eye. The beloved star — who has helped raise more than a billion and a half dollars for Parkinson’s research through his foundation since his 1991 diagnosis with the disease — will soon receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Oscar recognizing outstanding philanthropic efforts, at the Governors Awards on Nov. 19. But in the background, he has been quietly navigating another challenging chapter. His mother, Phyllis, died in September at the age of 92, and the past year has brought with it a cascade of frustrating new injuries.
The star has weathered difficult periods before. In a memoir two years ago, he chronicled what he called the worst year of his life, a period beginning in 2018 in which a risky spinal-cord surgery to remove a tumor was followed by a painful left-arm break. It ended with his recovery and an African safari with his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, and their four children: son Sam, 33; twin daughters Aquinnah and Schuyler, 27, and youngest daughter Esmé, 21.
But the past year brought new hurdles. “It got worse,” Fox says matter-of-factly. “I broke my cheek, then my hand, then my shoulder, had a replacement shoulder put in and broke my [right] arm, then I broke my elbow. I’m 61 years old, and I’m feeling it a little bit more.”
While Parkinson’s affects Fox’s movement, those around him say the injuries don’t necessarily mean his disease is progressing any faster. He got an infection after surgery for his broken hand, and temporarily not being able to use the hand led to balance issues and falls. He admits the painful incidents put a dent in his sunny outlook. “I was never really a cranky guy, but I got very cranky and short with people,” he says. “I try to nip it in the bud. I always think of these aides who work with me. And I often say to them, ‘Whatever I say, just imagine I said “please” at the beginning and “thank you” at the end. Just take a second and absorb that I might have said that if I was more myself, but I didn’t, so I apologize.’ ”
His recovery has provided an emotional lift. “Just now,” he says, “I’m coming through where the last of my injuries are healing up; my arm is feeling good. Life is interesting. It deals you these things.” Now, he says, “the whole mission is: Don’t fall down. So whatever works to not fall down, whether it’s a walker or a wheelchair, a cane, a guy with a belt around my waist holding onto it — I use all those tools.”
He’s been relying on them less as his strength comes back; weeks ago fans saw Fox walk unassisted across a New York stage for an emotional mini-reunion with his Back to the Future costar Christopher Lloyd. “I’m just getting to where I’m walking steadily again,” Fox says. “I think it’s cool to walk by myself. It is. It’s fantastic.”
We talk a lot about exposure and normalizing conversations around topics. This is a great example why that’s so important. While I knew Parkinson’s affected mobility, I never made the (logical) connection of how it led to breaking bones and other injuries. And when I saw that clip of Michael and Christopher, it made me sad. I felt bad for Michael and now I find out he was feeling great about being able to walk unassisted. Next time I’ll know not to read into the situation. We often hear people with disabilities ask us not to feel sorry for them and I need to be better about listening to that.
I love that Michael is still so optimistic yet letting us know that’s he’s also had his moments. I just appreciate everything he’s doing, from raising over a billion dollars for research to public education to his raw honesty about the disease.
Photo credit: People, Instagram and Cover Images
Have always loved him – he has always been a good guy even at the height of his success.
Sending him and his family nothing but blessings.
He is so brave and has done so much to raise awareness of this devastating disease for so long. May he continue to improve
And don’t fall down. My dad broke his leg several times from falls. And that was before his lost vision in one eye from glaucoma. The combination of Parkinson’s and glaucoma meant he was constantly falling and crashing into things.
I’ve been a fan of MJF since my teen years and Family Ties. Seriously considered writing one of those super-fan letters asking him to my prom!
His strength in battling such a terrible disease is amazing and admirable. My dad had Parkinsons, and it’s truly devastating. Keeping him and his family in my thoughts today.
Sorry to hear about his Mom. That’s rough at any age. I remember way back in Family Ties days they way he spoke of her was so lovely, like he adored her, she helped keep him grounded and she was this delightful bright light, no nonsense but kind person.
He and Tracey seem to be getting it right.
Also, everyone, the “do whatever you need to do to not fall” is SO key as you go through life, get up into your 50s and beyond. I’ve seen it with my older siblings and other relatives, friends: falling can ruin your day, and have cascading impacts on health, mobility for years. You think about broken bones (and those sometimes kick off surgery, infections) but a couple of people I know had little falls and hit their heads along with other stuff and while in theory they were “fine” after the bumps and bruises healed, they still feel the cognitive impacts – less ability to think clearly, trouble remembering new stuff, concentrating, impaired decision making, light and noise sensitivity, need for way more sleep… a year+ after the fall. (One doctor told a friend: your brain needs a certain amount of to rest to heal. You can either stay home, stop working, limit all input for a stretch (weeks) at give it a lot of that at once – think darkened room, quiet, no trying to concentrate, or it’s going to take it where it can bit by by all day every day for months and years.)
Slow down, hold handrails, don’t try to carry too much at once, don’t look at your phone when walking, wear real shoes when out for a walk, stay focused when walking with your kids or your dogs or on uneven ground, use bath mats, shower stickers, yak tracks, examine your living space for trip hazards, do the silly easy balance exercises like standing on one foot when brushing your teeth, etc
@North of Boston – Excellent post. Thank you for all of the good information, reminders, and advice!
Thanks for this! I’m going to look up a few of these for my mom. She started falling in her 50s. She’s broken her elbow a few years ago and her foot in the 90s, both times while walking our dogs. There was a concussion, a subdural hematoma, and on and on and on. I’ve noticed from listening to her and her friends that some of these injuries come from not asking for help doing things. It’s hard to accept our bodies can’t do what they used to.
And the real shoe thing is for real. The trick comes in finding one that doesn’t catch the floor as you take a step.
Cara: your last point is a good one. I have a progressive neuropathy that causes me to trip & fall, mostly because my foot doesn’t fully come up & my toe catches, but sometimes it’s the sole of my shoe that does it. I’ve been living with this for quite some time & have found the lightweight running shoe, with a low-profile sole, works best. Lately, it’s been the Allbirds shoe. Sometimes a super-grabby sole grabs a carpeted floor, but other times it’ll grab a non-carpeted floor. I tried wearing my Uggs for travel, but tripped twice in the airport the most-recent time, so never again. So far, the Allbirds are working for me.
@NorthOfBoston Excellent advice and thank you! I have low blood pressure.and a few years ago it dropped too low, I passed out, and fell and broke my ankle. Although I didn’t have a concussion, my Dr gave the same advice about that and avoiding and reporting all falls. Its shocking how many trip hazards there are in public places/spaces. Vigilance is key!
A good friend fell a couple of weeks ago and hit his head. He had been walking along, reading his phone, and tripped. Outside of a bruise he felt okay and didn’t even go to his doctor. Three days later he died, evidently from an aneurysm. So let me also say to do all you can to not fall. NorthOfBoston gave excellent advice. Work on balance and check your surroundings for hazards. And never read your phone while taking even one step.
Me too. I broke my back when my dogs knocked me off the steps. Very much impacted and changed my life.
Agree. I used to have a padded mat for standing at the kitchen sink, but I kept knocking it with the edge of my shoe & nearly tripping. So I moved it to in front of my fridge, out of the way I thought, then one day I hit it again & had the worse fall of my life. Knocked into the wall, my neck bent weird, & hit my head. I actually saw stars. That had never happened to me before. I just sat there hardly breathing, tearing up but afraid to move. From reading other comments here, I realize I should have set a doctor appointment for after but I didn’t. I’m very lucky apparently.
If possible it’s also good to learn *how* to fall. I know a lot of people who do martial arts, particularly judo, and they spend a lot of time practising throws and subsequently falls. I’ve been giving it a go as I’m hugely clumsy and it definitely seems to be helping.
One lady I know who is easily in her 60s tripped down an entire escalator and the only reason she didn’t do really significant damage is because she instinctively used her judo training to land. She had a bruised shoulder and that was it, she was up and about straight after, nobody could believe it.
OK if they televise that awards ceremony you should all buy stock in Kleenex because I will cry my eyes out. So deserved! I really adore him.
And that’s a very honest reaction and very true @Hectate, we all need to get better at normalizing and integrating illness and disability in our lives. Because it will come into all our lives, either to ourselves or someone we love. That’s part of the journey.
The panel itself was great, very funny and sweet. Chris Lloyd is known for actually being very shy in real life, but he obviously has a lot of affection for Michael (and vice versa). Always great to see them.
I’ve been a Michael J Fox fan since 1983. If you haven’t read his books, I recommend picking one up. They’re heartwarming, inspirational, and heartbreaking all at the same time.
I have misty eyes sitting here with my broken ankle thinking about all he’s done and how far he’s come. Thirty years is a long time.
What a good and kind man. His attitude is inspiring. I just rewatched all the back to the futures with my kids. He’s so charming I love that it matches who he really is.
Over the years he has raised a boat load of money for Parkinson’s research yet it seems we are no closer to a cure or at least newer , affordable medication to keep symptoms under control. That kind of money should be buying results.
My dad has Parkinson’s and there has actually been a lot of good recent news, from researchers getting a lot closer to understanding how the specific Parkinson’s protein (alpha-synuclein) functions to trigger Parkinson’s, as well as therapies like focused ultrasound having good results in trials. There is also a new stem cell treatment that creates new dopamine-producing brain cells that is set to enter trials. The affordability of these therapies is of course a huge issue 🙁 Hope everyone votes in the midterms for pro-health care dems.
Even if they can’t find a cure, prevention, or even treatment to stall its progression, some charities help with practical issues the patients face. My friend had a form of Parkinson’s that progressed rapidly and killed her five years after diagnosis. She needed modifications to her home, such as ramps put in and bathrooms modified, plus having caregivers to assist her. Much of the costs were covered by local charities, so I know she was very grateful. I am someone who complains about what rip-offs charities are (the execs get rich off of them, some are just tax shelters for the very wealthy, etc.) but sometimes they can do a lot of good, too.
There is so much to admire about him. His wife also deserves a lot of credit. He should be a meme. Be a Michael J Fox not a (insert too many names to list).
My first teenage crush! I read his autobiography last year and my heart just broke for him. He’s been thru so much and by all accounts has always been such a good person. I just adore him.
💕
Big fan. I admire him for being open about his health and bringing chronic health issues into a spotlight. It’s not easy for the person or their loved ones, and normalizing this is good, it helps remind the community we are valued too.
Parkinson’s is a horrible disease. It took the life of my sister’s best friend who was actually acting in Hollywood and just beginning to land a few very minor roles when she was diagnosed, finally, in her 20s. She was a beautiful girl. Early onset is rare. I’ll focus on her life instead. She had a consulting role in the Anne Hathaway movie, became a leading lady in Denver’s acting community for the disabled, and was warmly eulogized in the newspaper after she was found dead on the floor of her apartment in her early 60s. Like Michael Fox she was charming, gracious and known for her wicked sense of humor throughout. She stubbornly refused all attempts to live with family and clung tenaciously (a bit ill-advised, as the disease progressed) to independent living and calling my sister and friends every day to gossip even though every word was a struggle. God bless Michael Fox and all he is doing.
So glad he is surrounded by his loving family. I have a lot of respect and compassion for him. He’s a very brave man. God bless.
God bless him and his family. <3
I was glad to see Christopher Lloyd looking so well also.