Michael J. Fox Continues Push for Parkinson's Cure on CBS Sunday Morning
What is the Fox Insight?
Photo: Fox Insight. Source: michaeljfox.org
Fox insight is an online database where Parkinson's patients can communicate to researchers about their disease. Patients can contribute data while also being part of a wide, diverse community to help "overcome barriers to research participation." According to the Fox Insight website, there is 10,945 participants thus far, and from this program alone there have been 22, 743 study visits completed. CBS Sunday Morning gathered several of the participants for their interview with Fox, and they all varied in age, race, and gender, showing how this disease does not discriminate. One participant, Jim, was also diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's, receiving his diagnosis around the same time Fox had.
Another participant, Claudia, also gave insight on what exactly they do with the researchers. They mainly answer their questions, speaking on their symptoms, their medications, and when their disease evolved. She said, "And the more information they get, the faster they'll get to a cure" (CBS Sunday Morning News).
His memoirs even inspired the participants to help find a cure, specifically the two that focused around Fox's diagnosis: Lucky Man and Always Looking Up. One participant, Jennilynn, claimed the memoirs "got [her] out of the first two years." They inspired her to have hope for a cure in the future. She said, "I had no idea how long I was going to be functional. But reading the books, like, there was a level of ferocious positivity and fierce optimism that got my fire lit."