Michael J. Fox received one of the rarest honors in television history at Monday night's 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his decades of advocacy in the fight against Parkinson's disease.
Wheeled onto the Peacock Theater stage, Fox got a standing ovation before he said a word. "I have to sit, so you enjoy it," he joked as he settled in, before turning serious.
"Initially, I kept my Parkinson's diagnosis a secret," Fox told the crowd. "I worried that it would affect my work and my relationship with audiences." He said he feared people would see him differently once they knew he was sick - until the public's response changed everything. "I understood that accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it," he said. "It just meant doing whatever I could for people living with this disease."
That conviction led Fox to found the Michael J. Fox Foundation, now the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research in the world, which has helped direct billions of dollars toward treatment and a cure since he was diagnosed at just 29 years old. During his speech, he said researchers are now "close" to finding one.
Fox also thanked his wife of nearly 40 years, Tracy Pollan, and their four children for their "sacrifices and their love," telling them, "You have no idea." The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award has only been given seven times since it was created in 2002.
Fox's story is a striking picture of what it looks like to hold onto hope in real weakness - turning a private fear into a very public purpose, and choosing, year after year, not to give up.
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