Michael J. Fox had a disease.
Michael J. Fox . Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson 's disease in 1991 , at age 29 , and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998 . Fox semi-retired from acting in 2000 as the symptoms of his disease worsened . He has since become an advocate for research toward finding a cure ; he created the Michael J. Fox Foundation , and on March 5 , 2010 , Sweden 's Karolinska Institutet gave him a honoris causa doctorate for his work in advocating a cure for Parkinson 's disease .