Michael J. Fox stepped out with his wife, Tracy Pollan, and their three daughters to attend the actor’s 26th annual Parkinson’s Disease Gala.
The “Back to the Future” star attended his “A Funny Thing Happened on the Road to Curing Parkinson’s” event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York on Saturday.
Fox, 65, and Pollan, 66, beamed in coordinated black outfits as they posed with their daughters, 31-year-old twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, and Esmé, 25.
This prestigious event was founded by the actor in 2000, just nine years after he received his diagnosis at the age of 29. The gala raises funds for research aimed at finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s about the incredible work the foundation has done. It celebrates everyone who has worked with us for over 20 years,” Pollan told People at the event on Saturday.
“The enormous, incredible amount of money that has been raised is going directly into the pockets of scientists… We are really seeing a lot of progress,” she added.
The actress also opened up about Fox’s journey with Parkinson’s, telling the outlet, “You just have to take it day by day.”
“You have to look at what’s in front of you,” she explained. “And you have to stay in the moment – and if the moment is right for you, that’s where you are.”
Comedian Josh Johnson performed a set, while John Mayer and Brad Paisley were the musical guests.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, “the disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages dopamine-producing neurons,” leading to symptoms of “tremors, stiffness, slow movements, and immobility problems such as depression or sleep problems.”
Fox has opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, including how he initially ignored his diagnosis by drowning himself in alcohol.
“I drank to erase it, to make it go away,” the “Spin City” alum told Closer Weekly in 2018, explaining how alcohol abuse “caused tension in[his]marriage, which was always good and has been amazing ever since.”
Earlier this year, Fox returned as Gerry, a man with Parkinson’s disease, for Season 3 of Bill Lawrence’s “Shrinking,” after taking a step back from the big screen.
The “Back to the Future II” star raved about how “incredibly fun” it was to “show up on set as” himself, revealing that he also lost the “ability to memorize lines.”
He also vulnerablely admitted that the chances of him reaching 80 were low, telling “CBS Sunday Morning” in 2023 that his condition would “make the call” when it was his time.
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