'I wont surrender to Parkinson's': Michael J Fox leaves Emmy audience in tears with emotional acceptance speech
The star has managed to raise more than $2billion dollars since being diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991
Michael J Fox has received a Emmy for his dedicated advocacy on behalf of people living with Parkinson’s disease.
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The 65-year-old Canadian-American actor was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s in 1991. The year after Back To The Future Part III came out.
In 2000, he established the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research which has now raised more than two billion dollars (£1.58 billion).
Appearing on stage in a wheelchair, he moved Hollywood stars such as Nicole Kidman and Harrison Ford to tears as he opened up about being diagnosed with Parkinson's aged just 29.
Accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at Monday’s ceremony, he said: “Initially I kept my Parkinson’s diagnosis a secret. I worried it would affect my work and relationships with audiences.
"Would they laugh if they knew I was sick? I was stunned by the support from all of you, so uplifted and I hadn’t lost what I do. They couldn’t take it away from me.
"And it’s because you stood up for me… I understood that accepting Parkinson’s didn’t mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant I had to do everything I could for everyone living with this disease."
He continued: "I set out to advocate for Parkinson’s disease and raise money. I found people to lead the effort for me and vowed to fund the best science in the world. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to benefit Parkinson’s patients and families.
"We move closer to eradicating this disease forever. I’m deeply grateful to our staff, donors, researchers, and most of all the patient community who make our work at the Michael J. Fox foundation possible."
Thanking his wife Tracy Pollan and their four adult children, Sam, Aquinnah, Schuyler and Esme, he said: "I thank Tracy and our kids for their sacrifices, for their patience and for their love. You have no idea," he said, while also mentioning his parents and siblings.