Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Michael J. Fox received a standing ovation following a heartfelt speech at the Emmy Awards on Monday (14.09.26).
The Shrinking actor was recognised with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his “transformative contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy” and hailed the accolade an “amazing, humbling honour”.
After a highlights reel from his career, Michael was introduced by his The Good Wife co-star Julianna Margulies and spoke about the award’s namesake and how he had learned from Bob Hope’s dedication to helping others.
He said: “I learned from his example. I couldn’t have known how these lessons would resonate in my own life, until my late 20s, when my life handed me a role I wasn’t looking for. Initially I kept my Parkinson’s diagnosis a secret. I worried it would affect my work and relationships with audiences.
“Would they laugh if they knew I was sick? I was stunned by the support from all of you, so uplifted and I hadn’t lost what I do. They couldn’t take it away from me. And it’s because you stood up for me. …
“I understood that accepting Parkinson’s didn’t mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant I had to do everything I could for everyone living with this disease.”
Michael spoke of his pride in the work his eponymous foundation have done in research for Parkinson’s.
He added: “I set out to advocate for Parkinson’s disease and raise money.
“I found people to lead the effort for me and vowed to fund the best science in the world. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to benefit Parkinson’s patients and families. We move closer to eradicating this disease forever.
“I’m deeply grateful to our staff, donors, researchers, and most of all the patient community who make our work at the Michael J. Fox foundation possible.”
The Back to the Future star went on to thank his wife Tracy Pollen, the rest of his family and Bob Hope for “showing me how it’s done”.
The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award recipient is chosen by the Television Academy and the Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation, who recognise a person whose “humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry and whose deeds and actions have had a lasting impact on society.”
