Ryan Reynolds in emotional plea as dad loses fight with Parkinson’s disease

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Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 5 November 2015

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Hollywood actor, Ryan Reynolds, asks fans to support the Michael J Fox Foundation after his dad lost his battle against Parkinson’s disease

The Proposal star Ryan Reynolds shared a personal picture of his dad who passed away on 25 October 2015 after living with Parkinson’s disease for over 20 years, with a request for fans to donate to research into a cure.

The moving photograph, shared to thousands of his Twitter followers, showed Reynolds’ father, Jim, holding him when he was a baby. Jim’s obituary also requested that, instead of flowers, well-wishers donate to the Michael J Fox Foundation.

Jim Reynolds was born in Edmonton, Alberta, where Canada’s first centre specially designed for people with Parkinson’s opened last week.

Ryan Reynolds has a history of campaigning for the Michael J Fox Foundation raising more than US$100,000 for Parkinson research. In 2008 he ran the New York City Marathon in aid of the foundation and in honour of his father.

In a guest blog in the Huffington Post before the marathon, Reynolds wrote: “Why on earth would I wilfully do this [run the marathon]? On behalf of my father, Jim Reynolds, who’s spent the last 15 years in a life or death struggle with Parkinson’s disease.”

Reynolds said that as he was running he thought a lot about his father, Michael J Fox and the 500,000 other people afflicted with the disease in the United States alone.

“When I saw Michael J Fox on Fifth Avenue, I gained about 15 pounds in goose bumps,” he said. “It kind of pushed me through the last six miles or so.”

Reynolds has continued to work with the foundation and became a member of its board of directors in 2009.


To help support Reynolds’ goal, visit the Michael J Fox Foundation website

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