Revision Module 4, Exercise E, page 113.0:00
Michael J. Fox is a successful TV and film actor.0:06
Most people probably know him from the TV show Family Ties or the Back to the Future films.0:10
He started out as a child actor and grew up in front of TV audiences all over the world.0:16
He is also an author and an activist.0:22
He got involved in politics and political activism because of his health.0:25
In 1991, at the height of his career, the doctors told him, to his horror, that he had Parkinson's disease.0:29
This is a disease of the nervous system, which affects sufferers' movement.0:37
People with the disease suffer from tremors, stiffness, and problems with mobility.0:42
It gets worse over time, and eventually affects their speech, behavior, and memory.0:47
Michael didn't tell his fans about his condition until 1998,, and as his symptoms got worse, he took a step back from acting.0:53
He tried everything he could to reduce his symptoms, including taking medicine and even having brain surgery.1:00
While he was coping with his disease, he was doing everything he could to help raise awareness and try to find a cure.1:07
He set up the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000, which funds research into finding a cure and works hard to find therapies for the 5 million people living with Parkinson's today.1:14
The foundation is the biggest independent investor of Parkinson's disease research in the world.1:26
The total investment so far is over $250 million.1:32
Today, Michael is a best-selling author and still in demand as an actor.1:37
He appears in a number of award-winning drama series, including The Good Wife, but his main focus is working with his foundation.1:42
Debbie Brooks, the co-founder of the foundation, says that Michael is doing well and appreciates the concern of his fans and well-wishers.1:49
However, although Michael sometimes finds it relevant to discuss life with Parkinson's disease in public, he considers his health a private matter.1:57
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