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May 22nd. 2002 Fox wins rare U.S. senate applause for public struggle with Parkinson's WASHINGTON (CP) -- The shoulders constantly rocked and rolled, an elbow would occasionally dart out involuntarily and his speech slurred as Michael J. Fox struggled to control the symptoms of Parkinson's during congressional testimony. On this day, he surrendered to the disease, interrupted his prepared remarks and ended his address earlier than he had hoped. "I'll shorten my comments," the Edmonton-born actor-activist told senators riveted Wednesday by so public a battle with the debilitating illness. Then the sound of applause -- usually forbidden by the archaic rules of Senate committee hearings -- began rolling through the large committee room. The sustained wave worked its way around the room washed over Fox as he finally was able to sit back in his chair and regain a measure of his physical equanimity. Only then did Fox attempt to take a sip of the glass of water in front of him. "This is an unusual hearing where there's applause," said Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican. "There's a lot of love in this room." The affection was shared by Fox and Muhammad Ali, the former heavyweight champ also afflicted with a form of Parkinson's disease. Celebrities often turn up on Capitol Hill to shill for research dollars. Their glamour and star-power draw attention and pressure on legislators who control the billions of dollars in scientific funds available in the United States. Almost none of these celebrities would risk dimming their star- wattage by daring to turn up for their congressional call with a hair out of place or a blemish uncovered by artfully applied make-up. But the senators on the Labour, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee got an eye-full of celebrity frailty during their hearing on Parkinson's disease. Ali allowed his wife to deliver his remarks. The world's greatest boxer sat before the senators trembling, with his eyes closed. Lonnie Ali patiently explained that the disease had not only robbed her husband of his extraordinary physical gifts and his prodigious confidence, but had also made him light-sensitive. Parkinson's Disease is a degenerative neurological condition that robs sufferers of control of their limbs and extremities while leaving their mental capacities intact. Some of those afflicted, such as Pope John Paul, might experience a slight trembling of the hand. Others can barely control all of their motor skills. Still others suffer from slurred speech. Most Parkinson's patients are closer to 60 or 70. But about 10 per cent of sufferers are under 40, a proportion of whom have histories of drug abuse or exposure to toxic metals. Some, such as Fox, are just plain unlucky. Fox, who grew up in Vancouver, had to leave his hit television series Spin City due to the disease. Fox began by flashing some of the sass of Alex P. Keaton, the kid- conservative he played for years on the television program Family Ties. "Is it just me or were you sitting in different seats the last time I was here?" he asked, tweaking the Democrats who won control of the Senate after a Republican defection last year. "It's back to the future," shot back Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who regained the chairmanship of the sub-committee. The pint-sized star has used humour relentlessly to put people at ease about his uncontrollable fidgeting ever since he went public four years ago about his battle with the brain disease. "Having Parkinson's at an auction can be an expensive proposition," he wrote in Lucky Man, his memoir that is now enjoying a ride atop best-seller lists. Not even humour could mask the fact that Fox's condition has not improved since he last appeared before a congressional committee last year. Sinemet, the medication prescribed to keep his shaking under control, limits his involuntary movements somewhat, but only for maddeningly brief periods of time. As it stands, Parkinson's sufferers like him have little choice beyond listening to a physician tell him how quickly the disease is robbing him of his life while taking medication to control some of the symptoms, Fox said. "It's not a great proposition," he said. "But the time has come where the brain is no longer just a place for research, but a place for cures." Controversial stem-cell research holds out some hope for brain regeneration. Future research may be limited by political battles because stem cell lines come from aborted fetuses. "Seeing the possibilities only increases our frustration and impatience over what is not getting done," Fox said. "We're going to get this done." SOURCE: Canoe / Canada Newswire http://www.canoe.ca/WorldTicker/CANOE-wire.Parkinsons-Fox.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn