Ready for a dose of inspiration today? The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s intrepid founder ranks among this year’s “Best Leaders” in U.S. News & World Report’s issue, which spotlights 25 exceptional individuals across public service, business, health care and education. Described in the piece as “the fox determined to outsmart Parkinson’s,” Michael J. Fox exemplifies the leadership and advocacy transforming today’s Parkinson’s research landscape. Explore the full piece to learn more.
Now, time for the good stuff — here we present the top three quotes from Michael’s interview.
- On the journey toward acceptance of his diagnosis and his determination to put a spotlight on the disease through founding an organization with a singular, urgent goal to find a cure: “Once I accepted the reality of my Parkinson’s diagnosis, my curiosity took over. My greatest teachers became the PD community: patients, doctors, researchers and organizations. But I also saw a fractured landscape where these groups didn’t connect. I began to ask what I could bring to the calculus of the work to end Parkinson’s.”
- On the irreplaceable value patients play in informing our understanding of the disease and speeding breakthroughs: “I’m not a scientist. I’m not a businessperson. But I am someone living with Parkinson’s. I share this reality with millions of others. We’re all involuntary experts on the disease. Our single greatest desire is to find better treatments and a cure.”
- On his gratitude and message for the worldwide Parkinson’s community in being part of the Foundation’s ambitious mission: “The community that has coalesced through the Foundation is a cast of millions. I wish I could shake the hand of every single one of them. Being a part of the community is the result of an instinct to help, to try to make a difference, to be the solution you seek. But what our community has given me in return is impossible to measure.”
The Foundation joins our worldwide community in congratulating Michael on this latest honor. Read the full story here and then, stay tuned to our channels this season to learn more about this transformative year of research and what the future may hold for Parkinson’s care.