Celebrating Michael J. Fox: Strength and Guidance He Provided on My Parkinson’s Journey

Guest Blog by: By Frank Antonicelli

June 9th holds a special meaning for me and countless others with Parkinson’s Disease. It’s Michael J. Fox’s birthday, who is turning 63—someone who has profoundly influenced my journey with Parkinson’s, even though we’ve never met. His resilience, optimism, and openness have been a beacon of hope and strength, guiding me through the many challenges of living with this condition.

I was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease at age 43 in 2007. At the time, there weren’t as many resources on YOPD as there are now. Those were very uncertain times for me, as I had no family history of Parkinson’s, nor did I know anyone with the condition.

KATE GREEN/BAFTA/GETTY IMAGES

When Michael J. Fox revealed his PD status in 1998, it was a shock. Up until then, I held the false assumption that Parkinson’s was an older person’s disease. Fast forward to 2004, when my own PD symptoms began to show. It started with my wife noticing my arm wasn’t swinging when I walked. I shrugged it off as an old sports injury. Later, playing golf, I couldn’t sync my body with my mind. My balance was off, alarming me. On good days, I felt a false sense of security, but my symptoms worsened. I developed a gait, and simple tasks like buttoning a shirt became challenging. A fall down the stairs finally prompted me to seek help.

After various treatments and inconclusive tests, a neurologist diagnosed me with Parkinson’s Disease. The diagnosis hit me hard. I wasn’t ready to accept it. Then, I thought about the Barbara Walters interview with Michael J. Fox and how he calmly shared his insights on his diagnosis and battle. Without anyone in my life with the condition, I looked to Michael for guidance. I came across his book "Lucky Man" and what got me to read it was a tagline I saw that said, "A written account of what it's like to be a 30-year-old man who is told he has an 80-year-old's disease".

As I read through the book, I felt such an openness and candidness in his words and what stuck out the most is that he never expressed an ounce of bitterness or "why me" when telling his story. Most of all, I really liked how he placed the utmost respect on his support system of doctors, therapists, friends, family and colleagues.

He became a source of inspiration and made me feel less alone in my journey. His openness about his experience made me not want to be so secretive about mine. I spent quite a few years trying to mask my symptoms from coworkers, friends and family. I thought I was protecting my feelings by masking, but in reality I was becoming more isolated and distant from my old self. I no longer felt like Frank the athlete or Frank the funny Italian guy, I felt like Frank with PD.

It felt liberating when I finally shared my PD diagnosis with the people in my life. Of course most of them already knew, but it was something we never talked about until I decided to share the news. This is where I learned the true meaning of gratitude as so many of my friends and family stepped up to support and encourage me.

As time went on I continued to look to Michael for positivity. His quotes have always made me think twice about whatever challenge I was going through and to not be so hard on myself. It takes a lot of character to maintain a face of optimism and humor when dealing with the condition. One that stands out is,"Life is great. Sometimes, though, you just have to put up with a little more crap." Another inspiring one is, “I’ve said Parkinson’s is a gift. It’s the gift that keeps on taking, but it has changed my life in so many positive ways.”

I took a moment and thought about what Parkinson's has given me, besides a shaky disposition, and I can say that Parkinson’s has given me a lot. It’s given me perspective, it's given me gratitude, it's given me the opportunity to connect with interesting people, it's given me a voice to share my story. In a way, it's given me a second, more creative and compassionate life.

Speaking of gratitude, this quote from Michael kept me moving forward, “Gratitude makes optimism sustainable. If you're grateful for the opportunities you have, for what you've been given to do work-wise, for the opportunities that exist, you're optimistic. If you can just find those moments, I always feel that if you flip the coin 100 times, you're going to come up heads 51.”

It has also reignited my passion for writing. In my twenties, I dabbled with writing poems, but let it slip away as I entered the professional world and focused on my career. Parkinson's lit a fire under me and prompted me to start writing again. It’s pushed me to start my own small publishing company to release my poems and songs.

These endeavors have also given me the confidence to share my PD story in the hope that it helps others. I want everyone affected by Parkinson’s to know that they are not alone in this.

Michael has been a part of my Parkinson’s journey since the beginning. He inspired me to stop grieving and start embracing a good life with Parkinson’s. Checking in with Michael’s activities, like his surprise appearance at the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards, motivates me. His foundation’s work in research funding is incredible. I’m confident a cure will be found, and I hope it happens in my lifetime. But even if it doesn’t, we must continue fighting.

Happy Birthday, Michael, and thank you for everything you do.