 |
 |
--------------6399291BAD40DACAB2A6FD59 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear All In looking through some Canadian press articles on the Michael Fox story, the most complete write-up was the following extract in the November 26th edition from our NATIONAL POST, a new publication which hit the newsstands last month. Interesting reading!! "Michael J. Fox, whose air of eternal youthfulness launched his acting career, is battling Parkinsonsn's disease. Fox,37, revealed his struggle to People magazine. He was diagnosed in 1991, and underwent brain surgery in March to relieve the tremours associated with the ilness. His story will appear in next week's edition of the magazine. Fox, who stars in the television situation comedy Spin City, was born in Edmonton ( In the province of Alberta CANADA ! ) in June, 1961, and grew up in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby. He moved to Hollywood at 18. He is best-known for his as Alex Keaton in the hit NBC situation comedy Family Ties, and for his starring role in the 1985 movie Back to the Future. "He's handling it with a lot of courage and a lot of positive attitude" said his sister Kelli Fox, a Toronto actress. Those who knew Michael J. Fox when he was growing up in Burnaby said yesterday that they were saddened by the news. " I'm very sorry to hear it," said Sarah McManus, who was Fox's drama teacher while he was a student at Burnaby Central. " He was a very nice person, with a very good character and I'm sure he will be using those qualities to meet this challenge. In the People magazine article, Fox said that he first noticed a "twitch" in his left pinkie while filming Doc Hollywood in 1991. He couldn't believe the diagnosis. " It was incomprehensible," he said in the interview. The doctor said I would be able to function for years and years." But the disease progressed, and his entire left side is affected by stiffness and tremours. " And I mean big tremours, " said Fox. He said the shaking of his left arm was so violent, " I could mix a margarita in five seconds. " Fox says that at times his arms and wrists are so stiff he cannot pick up the television remote control. He is using drugs to control the milder symptoms, including constant rigidity in his hips, hands tremours, and a "tapping" feeling in his feet. He said he has a new outlook on life. "It's made made me stronger. A million times wiser. And more compassionate. " The end of the story is you die. We all die. So, accepting that, the issue becomes one of quality of life. Fox will be unavailable for interviews,"said his agent, Suzanne Hiller. " It is important to Mr. Fox to convey that he lives a normal, thriving and happy life, and since his diagnosis seven years ago he has been active as an executive producer and star of a very successful television series, " reads a release from his office. " His doctors agree that Michael will be able to continue working on Spin City, future projects and personal commitments for many years to come. " Fox is married to actress Tracy Pollan,38, who played his girlfriend on Family Ties. They have a nine-year-old son named Sam and three-yearold daughters, Aquinnah and Schuyler. Parkinson's disease is a progressive degeneration of the central nervous system with no known cause or cure. Symptoms vary, but can include tremours, difficulties speaking, joint stiffness, slowness of movement or speech. The disease is divided into mild, medium. and severe stages. The People magazine darticle says that Fox's neurologist, Dr. Allan Ropper, describes Fox as being in the "late mild" stages. "I don't think anything made Michael especially susceptible to Parkinson's. Among my patients, his case is not extraordinay, " he said. But it is unusual for Parkinson's to strike someone as young as Fox, said Blair McRobie, president and CEO of the Parkinson's Foundation of Canada. In the vast majority of cases, the disease strikes people over the age of 55. An estimated 1% of people over 55 will suffer from the disease in their lifetime. Fox's father was a career officer in the Canadian military, and later a police officer. Fox's profesional acting career was lauched when, at the age of 15, he was hired to portray a ten-year-old in CBC's situation comedy Leo and Me. Ken Clements Ottawa CANADA < [log in to unmask] > --------------6399291BAD40DACAB2A6FD59 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <HTML> Dear All <P>In looking through some Canadian press articles on the Michael Fox story, the most complete write-up was the following extract in the November 26th edition from our NATIONAL POST, a new publication which hit the newsstands last month. Interesting reading!! <P>"Michael J. Fox, whose air of eternal youthfulness launched his acting career, is battling Parkinsonsn's disease. Fox,37, revealed his struggle to <I>People </I>magazine. He was diagnosed in 1991, and underwent brain surgery in March to relieve the tremours associated with the ilness. His story will appear in next week's edition of the magazine. <BR>Fox, who stars in the television situation comedy <I>Spin City, </I>was born in Edmonton ( In the province of Alberta CANADA ! ) in June, 1961, and grew up in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby. He moved to Hollywood at 18. He is best-known for his as Alex Keaton in the hit NBC situation comedy <I>Family Ties, </I>and for his starring role in the 1985 movie <I>Back to the Future.</I> <BR>"He's handling it with a lot of courage and a lot of positive attitude" said his sister Kelli Fox, a Toronto actress. Those who knew Michael J. Fox when he was growing up in Burnaby said yesterday that they were saddened by the news. " I'm very sorry to hear it," said Sarah McManus, who was Fox's drama teacher while he was a student at Burnaby Central. " He was a very nice person, with a very good character and I'm sure he will be using those qualities to meet this challenge. In the <I>People </I>magazine article, Fox said that he first noticed a "twitch" in his left pinkie while filming <I>Doc Hollywood </I>in 1991. He couldn't believe the diagnosis. " It was incomprehensible," he said in the interview. The doctor said I would be able to function for years and years." <BR>But the disease progressed, and his entire left side is affected by stiffness and tremours. " And I mean big tremours, " said Fox. He said the shaking of his left arm was so violent, " I could mix a margarita in five seconds. " Fox says that at times his arms and wrists are so stiff he cannot pick up the television remote control. He is using drugs to control the milder symptoms, including constant rigidity in his hips, hands tremours, and a "tapping" feeling in his feet. <BR>He said he has a new outlook on life. "It's made made me stronger. A million times wiser. And more compassionate. " The end of the story is you die. We all die. So, accepting that, the issue becomes one of quality of life. <BR>Fox will be unavailable for interviews,"said his agent, Suzanne Hiller. " It is important to Mr. Fox to convey that he lives a normal, thriving and happy life, and since his diagnosis seven years ago he has been active as an executive producer and star of a very successful television series, " reads a release from his office. " His doctors agree that Michael will be able to continue working on <I>Spin City, </I>future projects and personal commitments for many years to come. " <BR>Fox is married to actress Tracy Pollan,38, who played his girlfriend on <I>Family Ties. </I>They have a nine-year-old son named Sam and three-yearold daughters, Aquinnah and Schuyler. <BR>Parkinson's disease is a progressive degeneration of the central nervous system with no known cause or cure. Symptoms vary, but can include tremours, difficulties speaking, joint stiffness, slowness of movement or speech. The disease is divided into mild, medium. and severe stages. The <I>People </I>magazine darticle says that Fox's neurologist, Dr. Allan Ropper, describes Fox as being in the "late mild" stages. "I don't think anything made Michael especially susceptible to Parkinson's. Among my patients, his case is not extraordinay, " he said. <BR>But it is unusual for Parkinson's to strike someone as young as Fox, said Blair McRobie, president and CEO of the Parkinson's Foundation of Canada. In the vast majority of cases, the disease strikes people over the age of 55. An estimated 1% of people over 55 will suffer from the disease in their lifetime. <BR>Fox's father was a career officer in the Canadian military, and later a police officer. Fox's profesional acting career was lauched when, at the age of 15, he was hired to portray a ten-year-old in CBC's situation comedy <I>Leo and Me.</I><I></I> <P>Ken Clements Ottawa CANADA < [log in to unmask] > <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> </HTML> --------------6399291BAD40DACAB2A6FD59--