Michael J Fox’s heartbreaking health confession amid battle with Parkinson’s disease

Michael J Fox admits it "wouldn't be unheard of" if he lost his battle with the disease in the near future. Photo / AP

Michael J Fox has opened up about his years-long battle with Parkinson’s disease - and revealed another health scare he’d kept a secret until now.

The beloved actor was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 at the age of 29, but it wasn’t until 1998 that he took the diagnosis public.

Now Fox, 62, has opened up about his health in a new interview with Town & Country magazine, revealing that it “wouldn’t be unheard of” if he were to lose his health battle in the next few years.

He told the magazine: “One day I’ll run out of gas. One day I’ll just say, ‘It’s not going to happen. I’m not going out today.’ If that comes, I’ll allow myself that.

“I’m 62 years old,” he continued.

“Certainly, if I were to pass away tomorrow, it would be premature, but it wouldn’t be unheard of. And so, no, I don’t fear that.”

Fox has faced several health challenges over the past 10 years. He had surgery in 2018 after a tumour was found near his spine, with doctors warning him that he might not walk again. But after several months of rehabilitation, he was walking again - though, just months later, he broke his arm.

He also revealed that he “almost lost” his hand to an infection, telling the magazine: “My hand got infected and then I almost lost it ... it was a tsunami of misfortune.”

In an interview with the CBS show Sunday Morning earlier this year, Fox said that falling “is a big killer with Parkinson’s. Falling and aspirating food and getting pneumonia — all these subtle ways that get you.”

Elsewhere in the interview, he made the heartbreaking admission that he doesn’t believe he will make it to 80.

“You don’t die from Parkinson’s; you die with Parkinson’s,” he shared. “So I’ve been thinking of the mortality of it. I’m not going to be 80. I’m not going to 80.”

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Earlier this year, Fox marked 35 years of marriage to Tracy Pollan with a sweet tribute to his wife.

The Back to the Future star, 62, and his wife, 63, celebrated the milestone anniversary in July with messages to each other on Instagram over the weekend, with Fox sharing several throwback photos of the pair.

He wrote alongside the snaps: “35 years of [laughter], living, listening and loving you @tracy.pollan. Thank you for it all. Forever yours, Mike.”

Pollan replied in the comments with “Love you so much!!!” and shared her own tribute to her husband on Instagram, alongside a photo of the former co-stars on holiday together.