Michael J Fox: I'm really lucky

14 May 2008 03:04pm

Parkinson's disease sufferer Michael J Fox has apparently said he considers himself fortunate because he hasn't succumbed to depression like many others with the illness.

The actor first revealed he had the disease almost 10 years ago.

"I'm really lucky," the Back To The Future star told Access Hollywood.

"A lot of people with Parkinson's have clinical depression. It's really difficult for them to deal with what they're dealing with, plus have the added baggage of depression. I haven't encountered that or had that issue."

"In terms of where I thought I'd be 10 years ago, I always thought that if you imagine the worst case scenario and then it happens, you live through it twice," he added. "So if the worst case scenarios happen, I hope I don't notice them."

Michael now devotes his time to his Michael J Fox Foundation to help the fight against Parkinson's and to his family, wife Tracey and four children - Sam, 18, twins Schuyler and Aquinnah, 13, and six-year-old Esme.

"My son's doing the whole college thing and my girls are 13 and that's a whole adventure in itself," he said.

And the star apparently said he's looking forward to a new era in US politics in terms of research into Parkinson's.

"As far as the two democratic candidates go, they're both great on this issue," he said. "John McCain has been good on this issue on the past. The good news is, we can work with all of these guys."

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