Michael J. Fox is reflecting on his commitment to eradicating Parkinson’s disease after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On Saturday, Jan. 4, the Back to the Future actor was among those who received the nation’s highest civilian accolade from President Joe Biden at the White House.
The 63-year-old subsequently posted images from the occasion to Instagram, expressing his thanks.
“On behalf of the million or so people living with Parkinson’s and the millions more who love them, I am proud and honored to accept the Medal of Freedom from President Biden,” he stated in an email. “No doubt I get the most attention in the PD community, but this is our fight, and support and recognition on this level is a great boost.”
“I firmly believe that we will eradicate Parkinson’s disease, and everyone who has contributed to the battle will have contributed to the triumph,” he stated. Thank you. With hope and gratitude, Michael J. Fox.”
“Individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public, or private endeavors” receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to the White House.
“President Biden thinks that strong leaders maintain the faith, give everyone a fair chance, and prioritize decency over everything else. These nineteen people are outstanding leaders who have made America and the globe a better place,” the White House stated. “They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”
In 1991, Fox received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, which he publicly announced in 1998. Two years later, he established the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help with research. The group has raised about two billion dollars so far in their hunt for a cure for the disease—and they’ve achieved important advances: In 2023, they discovered a biomarker that can assist in predicting whether a person has Parkinson’s disease before symptoms appear.
“It was one of the rare occasions when I shed tears over our work,” Fox shared with PEOPLE in April 2024. “Our goal was to develop a system that could identify the illness before symptoms appeared, allowing us to treat it and prevent you from ever experiencing it.” “It was a big break—and a great moment.”
Looking back on the emotional moment he revealed his illness in a PEOPLE magazine cover story, Fox confessed that he was “nervous” about it, but the impact was immediate—and tremendous.
“It was an amazing time because the response was great,” he told me. “I couldn’t have been more grateful for the warm and supportive reaction… It served as a reward for all the hard work I had put in over the years.
“I’m proud that I dared to talk about this and to be out there with it,” he told me at the time. “People took it seriously; they treated it with gravity and seriousness,” he told me at the time. The world has been slightly affected by it, not by me.