Beloved actor and advocate Michael J. Fox’s open journey with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is well known. Fox’s grace and resilience, along with The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), has inspired millions of people and families. Today, MJFF is recognized as the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research.
This year, on Sunday, May 19, more than 750 participants will gather at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago at the Michael J. Fox Foundation Chicago/Run Walk. To date, the Foundation has raised nearly $8.1 million for its high-impact global research programs through the Run/Walk Series held across the U.S.
Among the many runners and walkers at this year’s event will be the Chicago-area Brice family. Katie Brice and her husband Matt’s life took an unexpected turn when Matt was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 34. Katie recalls the moment they received the news: “To say it changed our lives is an understatement. It turned our whole world upside down.”
The Brices’ Parkinson’s journey
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects over 6 million people worldwide. There are 90,000 new diagnoses in the United States each year. While it is most commonly diagnosed in people over the age of 60, some, like Matt, experience it much earlier.
When Matt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the couple had just begun their married life and were expecting their first child. “I was six months pregnant, Matt was 33, we just started our married life, we were scared and lost,” says Katie.
Like many others, Parkinson’s was a word they had only known because of Michael J. Fox, but it quickly became part of their family story.
The couple says that they faced a long journey to get an accurate diagnosis.
“After years of experiencing minor symptoms like a quivering thumb or a dragging foot, my condition progressed to the point where I couldn’t write normally and shaking had spread through my right side,” says Matt. The uncertainty was grueling and the fear of a more severe diagnosis loomed over the couple.
Katie says that Matt’s reaction following his diagnosis was one of resolve. “Matt decided that this wasn’t going to define him. He quite literally took the disease and ran with it. He’s been a constant inspiration to me and others for how he has handled this.”
Matt’s determination was visible to his family and friends. For example, he embraced a strict regimen of physical therapy, mixed martial arts, boxing and dietary changes.
“Every success I have in this area emboldens me to do more, every failure inspires me to work harder. This is the determination factor, to drive harder when you fall, to be better, this is what ultimately leads to success against the disease,” Matt says.
The need for community support
The Michael J. Fox Foundation Chicago Run/Walk provides an opportunity for families like the Brices to connect with a supportive community that understands the challenges of living with Parkinson’s.
For the Brices, this event is so much more than just a fundraiser. “It means everything to us. It means hope and courage. It means standing against something horrible and fighting, not shrinking away into apathy,” says Matt. “Participating in the fundraiser isn’t just about raising money. It’s about joining a movement that refuses to let the disease define them.”
This year, Matt and Katie are enthusiastic participants of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Chicago Run/Walk. Their team, “Shaken Not Stirred,” is currently ranked as one of the event’s top fundraising teams.
How the Run/Walk raises awareness and funds for Parkinson’s research
The Chicago Run/Walk fundraiser is one of many community-driven events that helps the Foundation raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s research. With no cure or treatments to slow or stop the disease progression currently available, the work of The Michael J. Fox Foundation is of critical importance.
Since its inception in 2000, MJFF has funded more than $2 billion in global research. Last spring, the Foundation announced a significant breakthrough — the discovery of a biomarker for Parkinson’s allowing for earlier detection. The new biomarker has catapulted drug development like never before by making clinical trials work smarter and faster toward better treatments.
Join the Michael J. Fox Foundation Chicago Run/Walk Fundraiser
The Chicago Run/Walk unites people from all walks of life with one single-mind goal: eradicating Parkinson’s disease. Whether you choose to run, walk or support from afar, your involvement makes a difference.
Katie and Matt Brice’s journey reminds us that, while Parkinson’s is a challenging disease, it does not have to define those who live with it, while also working towards a cure.
Matt emphasizes the Race/Walk’s role in providing community and inspiration for those living with Parkison’s. “This disease, while horrible and heart-breaking, is not the end of the road. You can fight back and there is a whole army behind you doing the same. You are not alone!”
For more information about The Michael J. Fox Foundation and to get involved in Chicago’s Run/Walk event, visit michaeljfox.org.
