Thursday, September 12, 2013

Famous People with Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects your movement. This disease doesn’t discriminate; there are many famous faces that are suffering from Parkinson’s around the world and in some cases it has helped raised awareness for this disease.

If you have risk factors that might increase your chances of developing this disease, you must seek medical help, especially if these symptoms manifest. Here are a few famous faces of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
  • Michael J Fox: This actor, most famous for starring in the Back to the Future movies, was diagnosed with PD in 1991 at the age of 30. He went public with diagnoses in 1998 and later founded the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
  • Muhammad Ali: This beloved and well-known boxer was diagnosed in 1984 with PD, a disease that is common to head trauma from activities such as boxing. He battled with shaking hands and changing mobility well before the end of his career.
  • Johnny Cash: This popular singer and songwriter was announced his diagnosis with PD in 1997 and despite this, he still enjoyed a long and fruitful career until he passed away in 2003.
  • Janet Reno: The first woman to serve as the U.S. attorney general from 1993 to 2001. Reno was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1995 at the age of 55. At the time she was serving as Attorney General of the U.S. under President Bill Clinton and stayed in in office until 2011.
  • Billy Graham: Billy Graham was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1993, but at the age of 93 he is still going strong.  Over the years, Graham has broken a few bones in falls, including his hip. Falls are a particular problem for people with Parkinson's disease because people with PD, are four times more likely to fracture a hip from a fall than their peers.
  • Bob Hoskins: The British actor best known for his role 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," retired in 2012 from acting to focus on his health and a healthier lifestyle.
  • Maurice White: Maurice was the producer, leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind and Fire. He announced his condition in 2000, after living with PD for the past 8 years. He has done a lot of research work and also supported funding for better treatments and a possible cure.
  • Michael Richard “Rich” CliffordClifford began his career as an astronaut with NASA in 1990, and since then has made three flights into space. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1994 at the age of 42.
  • Brian Grant: Brian Grant spent 12 seasons as a pro in the National Basketball Association, playing for the Sacramento Kings, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Phoenix Suns. In 2008 at the age of 28, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
By going public, these celebrities raised awareness in order to help people who struggles with this disease, encouraging people living with Parkinson's to continue to pursue their dreams.

HealthLine.com is a popular resource that offers expert health advice from qualified professionals and experienced contributors. Find out more about Parkinson’s on Healthline.com.

2 comments:

  1. The saddest addition to this list is Linda Ronstadt who is a big favorite of mine. I am so upset with that news. parkinsons is such a terrible illness that strikes down people in all walks of life.

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  2. The love of my life for 15 years was diagnosed 2 years ago at age 54. Symptoms were tremor in right leg, loss of handwriting ability, and soft voice. He also have difficulty rising from a seated position and have balance issues. he started out taking only Azilect, then Mirapex, and 6 months ago Sinemet. Several months ago he started falling frequently, hence the reason for Sinemet. We tried every shots available but nothing worked. In March 2023, my neurologist and I decided to go with natural treatment and was introduced to Natural Herbs Centre Ayurvedic organic Parkinson’s protocol, he had a total decline of symptoms with this treatment, the Tremor, falling frequently, stiffness, body weakness, balance issues, depression and others has subsided. Visit Natural Herbs Centre official website www. naturalherbscentre. com. This treatment is a breakthrough for all suffering from Parkinson’s, don’t give up Hope. Keep Sharing the Awareness, herbs are truly gift from God. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you

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