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Rachael Ray Show

Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox
Aired on: September 6, 2007April 27, 2007

When Mary McNaught learned that her godmother had Parkinson's Disease, she organized Pancakes for Parkinson's, an annual fundraiser that has raised almost $60,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Rachael surprises her with a special guest who wants show Mary his appreciation for all her dedication ... click on the video to see Michael J. Fox surprise Mary!

Kitchen table chat: Why Michael loves Alex P. Keaton

Michael has been bringing attention to the fight against Parkinson's Disease since going public with his own struggle in 1998. But as he explains, it took him a while to realize that he could turn his situation into a force for doing something good. "For seven years I had PD and I didn't tell anybody about it. When I finally did, I realized I was part of a community that I had shut myself off from. I realized that those people had dreams and hopes and complaints, and I realized that I could do something. It was a blessing and a unique privilege to be in that position, so I wanted to act on it."

As a result of his drive to make a change, the actor created the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which has funded over $90 million in research to date directly or through partnerships. Michael tells Rachael about Team Fox, a division of the foundation that is dedicated to supporting and recognizing individuals such as Mary who bring their communities together while raising funds and awareness of PD. "We found that people were doing things, bake sales, car washes, all over the country for us," he says. "We realized they would really benefit from an organizing, helping hand and a set of tools or advice that they might to help them help us. It's been in operation for about a year and a half and through that arm we've raised over a million dollars."

Rachael asks Michael how he keeps the faith that a cure is going to happen in this generation. "We're conditioned to think that things fall out of the sky," Michael says. "But you have to ask for them, you have to work for them, you have to look for them. Your happiness is nobody's responsibility but yours. And the same goes for your health in a sense. It's amazing when you give people the tools to do things. I think if we put enough tools out there that we'll make this happen."

Married since 1988 to Family Ties co-star Tracy Pollan, the couple has four children who have learned valuable lessons from their courageous father. "It's been an amazing thing for my kids," Michael says, "because you don't have to give a lot of lectures about resiliency and about toughing things out. You do that by example. There's a lot of things that they just observed and they understand that to do something is not always the same effort for one person as it is for another. They understand empathy and they understand that life goes on."

You can read more about Michael and his family in the book, Hollywood Dads, which goes behind-the-scenes to capture 50 famous fathers with their children.



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