![]() He has dedicated his life to furthering Parkinson's research, going on to establish The Michael J. Fox began noticing symptoms of young-onset PD when he was just 29 years old. Fox became a household name as Marty McFly in Back to the Future and led an illustrious acting career, winning Emmys and a Golden Globe. Fox is one of the most recognizable Parkinson's advocates in the world. Diamond still plans on making music.Īctor and philanthropist Michael J. Fans of the Golden Globe and Grammy-winning Hall-of-Famer donated their tickets to Parkinson's research on his behalf, many through Parkinson's Champions. Singer and songwriter of popular songs like "Sweet Caroline" and "I'm a Believer" went public with his diagnosis after he announced his cancellation of the third leg of his 50th Anniversary tour in 2018. He is currently working on several projects. Today, Connolly copes with his Parkinson's through his sense of humor alongside his wife, Pamela Stephenson. The Scottish stand-up comedian and film actor only visited his doctor after a fan, who was also a surgeon, approached Connolly in a lobby and informed him that his abnormal gait could be a sign of Parkinson's. At the time of his death at age 94, Bush was the longest living president in history. The World War II Navy veteran kept his hopes high and battled Parkinson's-like symptoms. ![]() ![]() and two-time vice president under Ronald Reagan lived with vascular parkinsonism for several years. Bush (diagnosed with vascular parkinsonism 2012) Ali's fight against Parkinson's ended June 2016, but his legacy lives on. He elevated Parkinson's awareness around the world and helped establish the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, a Center of Excellence, in Phoenix, AZ. Ali was a longtime friend of the Parkinson's Foundation. He worked to raise funds for Parkinson's research through the 2000s, even bearing the Olympic Flag in 2012. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's just three years after retiring from boxing. He made his diagnosis public in 2018, saying "I was diagnosed three-and-a-half years ago and I've had a full life since then."īorn Cassius Clay, Ali was known as the People's Champion. While a diagnosis is upsetting, when notable figures are public about their disease, the coverage helps increase awareness and understanding, while personalizing Parkinson's for those with no other connection.Ī PD diagnosis is universally difficult to cope with, but with a platform to speak from and fans to speak to, here's a list of notable figures that have helped shape the Parkinson's conversation: Alan Alda (diagnosed 2015)Īctor, director, screenwriter and author Alan Alda, best known for playing Hawkeye Pierce in the television series M*A*S*H*, was diagnosed with PD in 2015. However, when a household name such as Ali or Fox announces their diagnosis, Parkinson's coverage briefly spikes. Many people only know Parkinson's as the disease that Muhammad Ali had, or Michael J. Although more than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson's disease (PD), the general public's understanding of disease symptoms is often limited to what is seen in the media.
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