There are certain on-screen duos who always seem to inspire joy in people, no matter how many years have gone by. One such pair is of course Doc and Marty from Back to the Future, who single-handedly ensured the coolness of DeLoreans for decades to come. Though the iconic film was released way back in 1985, we still can’t get enough of these two! In smile-inducing photos recently posted on social media, Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd turned up together at a charity poker tournament. What were they up to? On this special night, they were coming together in support of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. With the proceeds from the big event going to fund much-needed Parkinson’s research, it was not only wonderful to see these two smiling faces together again but nice to witness the friendship and support they share.
Poker For Charity
Thanks to support from events just like this one, the Michael J. Fox Foundation has proudly funded more than $900 million in research programs to date. (2)
Their website spells the mission out in plain terms, they are not giving up. They’re here for the long haul until a cure is found for Parkinson’s disease.
“The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) exists for one reason: to accelerate the next generation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatments. In practice, that means identifying and funding projects most vital to patients; spearheading solutions around seemingly intractable field-wide challenges; coordinating and streamlining the efforts of multiple, often disparate, teams; and doing whatever it takes to drive faster knowledge turns for the benefit of every life touched by PD.” (2)
Now that’s a cause worth celebrating.
Parkinson’s Disease And Its Effects
Michael J Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 at the age of 29. (1) It would take him another 7 years to share this news with the public, and once he did, he went all-in with creating the Foundation and its aggressive plan for finding a cure. The New York Times has hailed MJFF as “the most credible voice on Parkinson’s research in the world.” (2)
We need a credible voice, and a lot of resources too, because this disease is a formidable one.
Once diagnosed, the disease is lifelong and progressive. It happens when brain cells fail to create dopamine, one of the chemicals which regulate movement. Tremors and other involuntary movements are the result, but it goes much deeper than that. Parkinson’s affects digestion and elimination, can cause depression, memory problems, and a host of other issues totally unrelated to movement. (2) Because there are so many variables, everyone’s experience with Parkinson’s is unique. That’s one reason it’s so hard to find a cure. And, with more than 6 million people worldwide afflicted with the disease, we desperately need research funding.
Groundbreaking research of this kind doesn’t come cheap, of course. That’s where important charity events like this come in. They are a win/win for everyone involved… important work gets done, and sometimes they even bring our favorite duos back into the spotlight for a moment!
Thanks for the pics Doc and Marty! It’s really great to see you two.
