Support Through Parkinson's
- Ryan Reynolds, 47, has revealed how “lucky” he is to have Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with an early onset of Parkinson’s in 1991, as his friend amid the “Back To The Future” actor being featured on Time Magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People.
- Parkinson’s is a chronic illness that impacts the nervous system. Over time, more symptoms start to appear in the body. There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, but researchers like those at The Michael J. Fox Foundation are working to change that.
- If you or someone you know is living with Parkinson’s disease or cancer, it’s important to know that you are not alone. There are many outlets of support available, whether it be a friendship like Reynolds has with Fox, or support groups to find others coping with similar battles.
- Feeling supported during a battle with Parkinson’s or cancer is hugely beneficial. New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik, tells SurvivorNet that receiving the diagnosis “can be a very overwhelming experience” that requires finding support outside of your usual circles to help cope.
To commemorate Fox, who was diagnosed with an early onset of Parkinson’s back in 1991 at just 29 years old, being featured in the annual list of notable people across the globe, Reynolds penned a heartening blurb and posted it to Instagram on Wednesday.
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Reynolds, who lost his dad in 2015 after his 20-year battle with Parkinson’s, continued, “He’s someone who helped my dad, along with millions of others, feel less alone. It’d be kinda lazy to simply regard him as a movie star who shaped the lives of people all over the planet with a uniquely electric wit and self-aware charm. He’s the sum of these beautiful parts. And so many more.
“Last year I watched Back to the Future with my 8-year-old daughter. It’s become her favorite film. And for now, that’s enough for me—and her. One more kid from one more generation sees what I saw.”
The “Just Friends” star concluded, “I know how lucky I am to call Mike a friend. She [his daughter] still has no idea that I know him. I don’t need to teach my daughter the level of compassion Mike has mastered. Or teach her to tell stories the way Mike tells stories.
“I need to teach her that it’s OK to fall a lot. It’s the absolute best way to know you’re flying.”
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Fox replied in the Instagram comments by thanking Reynolds for his “beautiful words.”
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Reynolds’ dad James passed away at age 74 on Oct. 28, 2015, and following his death, the actor revealed to Men’s Health how acting as Wolverine in “Deadpool” helped him grief the loss of his father.
He told Men’s Health back in 2020, “I understand the idea of filtering pain through a prism of comedy. I think this character does that quite well. He obviously takes it too far. He wakes up in the morning exclusively to annoy everyone around him. But for your average civilian like me, I think there’s something really relatable about that idea, that there’s something to be learned by taking life a little less seriously.”
Reynolds noted how he appreciates how the movie offers moments of laughter, saying ,”Laughing can serve you in those dark moments and even help you crawl your way back out.”
“In my dad’s dying moments, we were making him laugh. We were all in there together, me and my brothers, just joking with him. And of course we end up busting each other’s chops. I recommended that the doctor raise Dad’s dose of Dilaudid in order to make my other brother more tolerable,” Reynolds recounted.
RIP Pops. James C. Reynolds. 1941-2015
If possible, please donate/support: https://t.co/exJYbchCmq pic.twitter.com/8hAfxVbcU1
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) October 28, 2015
Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s Journey
In 1991, when Michael J. Fox was 29 years old, he receives his diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s, news he chose to keep private for seven years prior to going public with the news in 1998.
Since speaking out about the disease, Fox has become a spokesperson for Parkinson’s awareness, pushing for more research and funding.
His organization, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson’s Research, was created to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease through funding research and developing therapies.
As per MJFF’s website, Ryan Reynolds has been involved in the foundation’s website since 2008. He ultimately joined the Board of The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2009.
The website states, “In 2008 Reynolds got involved with The Michael J. Fox Foundation when he ran the New York City Marathon for Team Fox. Running in honor of his father, Reynolds completed the marathon in under four hours and raised over $100,000 for Parkinson research. Reynolds has continued to work with the foundation and since then has auctioned off movie premiere tickets, supported various events and has recently been named one of the Board of Directors.”
Included in the foundation’s track record of impact on Parkinson’s research, MJFF states on its website, “In our preclinical portfolio, MJFF-funded investigations have resulted in more than 20 early-stage therapeutic programs, which have attracted follow-on funding from venture capital, pharmaceutical or government funders for continuing development.”
“In our clinical portfolio, we have funded or sponsored scores of clinical trials in partnership with both academic and industry teams. Today, more than 15 disease-modifying interventions are in clinical trials. Multiple improved symptomatic therapies have achieved regulatory approval or are poised to do so,” the foundation adds.
“The landmark MJFF-sponsored Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative has built the most robust dataset and biosample library in the history of Parkinson’s research. Data from brain scans (e.g., MRI, DaTscan), biosample analysis (e.g., spinal fluid protein levels) and intensive “omics” investigations (e.g., whole genome and RNA sequencing) from 1,500 volunteers has been downloaded by researchers over 1.7 million times since the study’s launch in 2010.”
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Lastly, MJFF states, “The Foundation’s online clinical study, Fox Insight, has galvanized people with Parkinson’s and their families to take an active role in research by sharing their lived experience of the disease. Since the study launched in 2017, more than 48,000 individuals have raised their hand to become citizen scientists to power PD research.”
As for Parkinson’s, it’s a chronic illness that affects the nervous system. As time passes, more symptoms start to show up in the body. Although there is currently no cure for this degenerative disease, researchers like those at The Michael J. Fox Foundation are trying to change that.
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Signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease can often seem innocuous and go unnoticed as they could potentially be attributed to other things. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the four main symptoms of Parkinson’s are:
- A tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
- Muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time
- Slowness of movement
- Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls
Other symptoms can include:
- Depression and other emotional changes
- Difficulty swallowing, chewing, and speaking
- Urinary problems or constipation
- Skin problems
Symptoms of Parkinson’s can vary from person to person, as well as the rate of the disease’s progression.
As researchers like those at The Michael J. Fox Foundation are trying to find a cure for the disease, medications to mitigate and control some symptoms of Parkinson’s do exist, some of which include dopamine promoters, antidepressants, cognition-enhancing medication, and anti-tremor medication.
Whether you have #Parkinsons disease or not, you can participate in important research investigating ways to slow disease progression, evaluate therapies and test interventions.
Read our latest blog to discover studies recruiting for volunteers. https://t.co/3v7miJkX9t
— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) March 30, 2023
For those living with Parkinson’s, or a similar disease, Fox offered some advice in an earlier AARP interview, saying, “Have an active life and do not let yourself get isolated and marginalized. You can live with it.”
He continued, “People sometimes say that a relative or a parent or a friend died of Parkinson’s. You don’t die of Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s, because once you have it, you have it for life, until we can remedy that, and we’re working hard at it.”
“So, to live with it, you need to exercise and be in shape and to eat well,”Fox said. “If you can’t drive, find a way to get around. Maintain friendships. Don’t say, ‘Oh, I don’t have anything to say to Bob. Bob might have something to say to you. Just make the call.”
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The Importance of Support
Having a strong support system is crucial during the emotionally and physically taxing job of fighting cancer or battling disease like Parkinson’s.
“Studies have found consistently that loneliness is a significant risk factor for physical and mental illnesses and the trajectory of recovery,” licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin told SurvivorNet. “The act of sharing our time and words with others can alleviate emotional and physical pain.”
In order to receive support, however, it is imperative you share at least some details about your journey, either with disease or a disability, with others. But whom you share with and how much to share is entirely up to you.
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“Some people start to kind of share the information with many family members and friends, and they feel that works for them, and that it’s a way that they can get support from other people,” New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik said. “Other people are much more private about it, and there is no one right way to handle this diagnosis. People should do what feels right to them.”
Some cancer survivors don’t need to go beyond their circle of family and friends for support, but others might need a little extra help. For the latter group, Dr. Plutchik recommends reaching out to a mental health professional who has experience working with cancer warriors.
“Try to find a mental health professional who is experienced in this area and who really understands the nuance and intricacies involved in this,” Dr. Plutchik explained. “Make sure that the mental health professional that you work with is reaching out with your consent to the rest of the team, to the oncologist, to the surgeon if those people are involved.
“It can be helpful to reach out to family, friends, anybody else, any other caretakers that would be involved in the person’s treatment. You don’t want a situation where everybody is kind of doing their own thing on the team.”
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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