Canada names Michael J Fox as their most influential expat

Michael J.Fox, celebrated actor and world-renowned fighter against Parkinson’s disease has been declared at Canada’s most influential expat.

Fox, a native of Edmonton, took top honour in a contest organised by the Canadian Expat Association. Fox beat off competition of other short-listed candidates which included ice-hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, rock icon Neil Young and eBay head Jeff Skoll.

According to the association, Fox was awarded the nomination due to his well publicised bravery in his personal fight against Parkinson’s along with the campaign he has spearheaded on an international level that hopes to one day find a cure for the deadly and debilitating disease which affects so many lives.

Fox first found fame in the 1980’s through film and television. His early work in the sitcom Family Ties and later Spin City was complimented by Hollywood blockbusters such as Back to the Future and Teen Wolf.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, a disorder which attacks the body’s central nervous system leading to loss of motor skills and eventually quality of life. Fox put on hold his acting career in 1998 when he went public with the disease, leading to the creation of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. To date, the foundation has raised over $150 million in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.

Fox has also been an outspoken advocate for stem-cell research, which the previous US government claimed he used to overstate his illness, although the Obama administration has signed new legislation to assist research.