A renowned actor. A best-selling author. An advocate. A family man. Michael J. Fox has touched lives in many ways apart from his 17 Emmy nominations,  5 Emmys, and 4 Golden Globes over 30 years. Diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) in 1991 at 29 years old, he made his diagnosis public 7 years later. Within 2 years of the announcement, he had created the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson's Research, which has resulted in what the New York Times has called, "the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world.”

As the world's largest nonprofit organization for Parkinson's research and advocacy, MJFF focuses on the following areas: 

• Building knowledge about the lived experience of Parkinson's disease
• Finding an objective test for Parkinson’s
• Engaging patients in research
• Supporting the development of new treatments 
• Finding a cure

To date, MJFF has raised over 1 billion dollars for Parkinson's advocacy and research, resulting in the funding 150 Parkinson’s Disease research projects.   Clinical activity is ever-increasing and there is a growing pipeline of more than 200 potential therapies. It is little wonder that someone once told Michael that "Someday, there’s going to be a cure for Parkinson’s, and it’s gonna be because of you."

Thank you, Michael.