DESPITE his courageous struggle against deadly Parkinson’s disease, MICHAEL J. FOX is running out of time!
The average person lives between 10 and 20 years after symptoms first appear – and the beloved “Back to the Future” star has already survived more than two decades with the devastating neurological disorder.
Thanks to early diagnosis and excellent medical care, the 51-year-old actor has been able to buck the odds.
“But the truth is, he’s on thin ice,” revealed a close source.
“He could easily hurt or kill himself from a fall or by choking, which are among the biggest dangers to longtime Parkinson’s sufferers.”
In patients diagnosed early in their lives, the most likely cause of death is falling, say experts.
Sufferers also have difficulty swallowing and can end up choking on their own fluids. Others die from pneumonia.
Fox was first diagnosed at the age of 30 when he noticed a “twitch” in his left little finger while working on the 1991 film “Doc Hollywood.” The disease progressed over the next few years, affecting his entire left side with tremors and stiffness.
When Michael, who’s married to actress Tracy Pollan, first disclosed the stunning news in 1998, he was starring on ABC’s “Spin City.” But he left the show in 2000 as his symptoms worsened.
Since then, he’s mostly appeared in guest starring roles on TV. But as The ENQUIRER recently revealed, friends and family are worried about his plans to anchor his own NBC series next fall. In the sitcom, he’ll play a Parkinson’s-stricken, married father of three residing in New York.
“God bless Michael,” said the close source. “But everyone, including his wife Tracy, is worried sick it’s just too much for him to handle.”
The hard-driving entertainer credits a new combination of drugs for reducing the ailment’s tics and tremors and allowing him to work more. But doctors say that sooner or later the medicines lose effectiveness.
“Even while a patient’s symptoms are well controlled with medication, the brain is continuing to accumulate the damage caused by the disease,” Dr Mark J. Miller, assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine told The ENQUIRER. “At a certain point, the treatments are no longer able to balance out the damage in the brain.”
Dr. Patrick Wanis, an L.A.-based behavioral expert and creator of the Life and Death Calculator, tells The ENQUIRER that the spunky star may have only five years to live. “Since Michael was diagnosed in 1991, he has already exceeded his life expectancy by nine years,” said Dr. Wanis.
“This coupled with the physical stress of his new television show can trigger the progression of the disease. And if the Parkinson’s no longer responds to the medication, his risk of dying increases and he may have less than five years to live.”
Sadly, as the disease advances, many patients become disabled. “This does not paint a pretty picture for Michael’s immediate future,” said the close source. “He’s looking at serious medical complications before he dies.”
