Michael J Fox admits he was 'really nervous' to reveal his Parkinson's disease diagnosis in public

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michael J Fox continues to defy the odds 25 years after he revealed his battle with Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

Speaking to People, the retired actor shared that he was diagnosed with the incurable degenerative disorder in 1991 and was candid about his symptoms from the disease.

Michael J Fox says doctors were 'hopeful' he will be functional for at least another 10 years

Fox shared that his doctor was "hopeful that Fox will be functional for at least another 10 years and maybe well into old age."

"What I believed then and what I believe now, I might not put it in the same words, but you can do anything. Anything," said the 62-year-old.

"You don't have to follow other people's prognostications for what life is going to be. Life's going to be what you make it," he added.

Michael J Fox opens up on organization he set up for Parkinson's research

In 2000, the 'Back to the Future' actor created The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

The organization stands as a testament to his commitment to finding a cure for the disease. 

Making significant advancements in the field, they found a biomarker in 2023 that is capable of identifying Parkinson's before the symptoms are shown.

"It was one of the few times I cried about what we were doing," said Fox.

"We wanted to find a way that we can diagnose the disease before the symptoms are there. Because then we could treat it, and you'd never have it. It was a big break — and a great moment," he added.

The activist recalled the time he revealed to the world in 1998 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease as he admitted that he was "really nervous" about it at the time.

"I didn’t want to put it out there, but, given the nature of Parkinson’s, it was going to become evident sooner or later," said Fox.

"Todd Gold [the reporter] was really good. He said, 'How can I tell this story, get the most out of it for you, get the most out of it for Parkinson's—which I hadn't thought about yet, what impact it would have on the community?'"

"It was an amazing time because the response was great," Fox continued.

"The response was loving and supportive, and I really couldn't have been... It was a payoff for all the stuff I'd done through the years." he further noted.

"I'm proud that I had the courage to talk about this, and to be out there with it," he said.

"And people took it seriously and treated it with a sense of gravitas and importance. Because it’s really — it, not me — changed the world a little bit," Fox shared.