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Murray, Thank you for sharing this incredible article with us. Emily ----- Original Message ----- From: "Murray Charters" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2002 8:28 AM Subject: Fox wins rare U.S. senate applause for public struggle with Parkinson's > 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn