Michael J. Fox | Fox with his family | Source: Youtube.com/CBS Mornings | Instagram/Sam Fox

"The Frighteners" actor Michael J. Fox has fought Parkinson's disease for decades, but despite his struggles, his family has stood by him, helping make his days worthwhile. It has been a tumultuous decade-long journey for the kids, especially because three of the four have never seen him healthy. However, their love and support have remained unconditional.

Michael J. Fox is in a better place than he has been in for years. After dealing with serious health issues stemming from his struggle with Parkinson's, the recovery is a breath of fresh air for the actor.

The star can finally walk again unassisted after numerous injuries left him unable to walk on his own. Fans were excited to see the actor walk across a New York stage during a mini-reunion with his costar Christopher Lloyd.

Actor Michael J. Fox speaks during a "Back To The Future Reunion" panel at New York Comic Con on October 08, 2022 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

This celebration came after the actor had a bad streak and suffered numerous injuries, including a broken hand, shoulder, arm, and elbow. The recovery has been a huge emotional boost for the actor, and he explained:

"I'm just getting to where I'm walking steadily again. I think it's cool to walk by myself. It is. It's fantastic."

And yet that has only been part of his struggle. The star is now doing much better, and he has his family to thank for standing by him and ensuring they give him as good a time as possible. He is incredibly thankful to his wife of over three decades, Tracy Pollan.

Fox and Pollan's Love Story Has Traversed Every Adversity

Fox has been married to his wife Tracy Pollan for over thirty years, and despite his health struggles over the years, she has stood by him and helped him get back on his feet.

Pollan, like Fox, is an actress known primarily for her appearances in fan favorites "Promised Land," "Fine Things," "A Stranger Among Us," "Dying To Love You," and "The Little Sister," among many others.

The lovebirds met in 1985 after Pollan was cast as Fox's girlfriend on the hit sitcom "Family Ties." There was a connection, but they only became an item after starring together in the 1988 "Bright Lights, Big City."

They exchanged vows at West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont, on July 16, 1988, and welcomed their four children soon after. They had their first baby, son Sam Michael, on May 30, 1989.

Their second and third twin daughters, Schuyler Frances and Aquinnah Kathleen arrived in February 1995, and their youngest daughter Esmé Annabelle on November 3, 2001.

Even after so many years together, the couple still has only good things to say about each other. Pollan says that despite dealing with his health issues, Fox remains one of the most kind-hearted people she has ever met, and she credits his kindness to his upbringing.

She says that Fox always looks at a situation and the people involved and thinks about others before himself. Another secret to their long marriage is giving each other the benefit of the doubt. Pollan disclosed that whenever they have even the tiniest friction, they always find a way to be compassionate about it and place themselves in each other's shoes.

Pollan never assumes her husband is deliberately being unkind whenever he is short with his response. The first assumption is that something else is happening, and he does the same with her. She adds:

"It's assuming the best from the person you live with until you are actually presented with the worst. And the same with our parenting: It's also how we are with our kids."

Fox also appreciates his family for standing with him during his most harrowing moments. He says he learned to be considerate of those around him during that period. He notes that he is living his best life now because he greatly enjoys his family:

"Tracy and the kids are amazing. I know that sounds boring, it sounds like a fairy tale, but we've been married thirtysomething years, so we've got something figured out."

Fox's Kids Helped Him Deal with the Illness

Fox started displaying symptoms of early-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991 during the filming of "Doc Hollywood." The diagnosis came shortly after. The doctors said he might not continue working in the next few years, despite the initial symptoms only being a sore shoulder and a twitching finger.

The illness has only worsened, with the timeline of the condition meaning that three of his four children have never seen him healthy. However, over the years, they have been his primary sources of comfort and have coped with their father's illness the best way they know how.

The support they give their father is incredibly inspiring. However, unlike their parents, the Fox children have chosen a life out of the spotlight. The oldest child, son Michael, is the only one with a public Instagram account and often posts photos of himself and his father.

He also loves updating his fans on his family life and showering his dad with love and beautiful messages. Not much information is out there about Fox's twins Aquinnah and Schuyler. However, based on Aquinnah's LinkedIn account, she has worked as an assistant with Annapurna Pictures media company.

Schuyler is just as private as her siblings but has updated her Linkedin profile to show that she works as an associate producer at FableVision, an educational media developer and production studio.

Previously, she worked at Fox's charity, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The twins are also keen on showering their father with love and often appear to have fun whenever they take photos.

Fox is also not shy about showing love to his kids. He recently celebrated his twin daughters' birthday on his Instagram with a sweet post captioned:

"Twice the love, a hundred times the laughs. Happy birthday to my beautiful girls. I love you so."

The youngest of the Fox bunch is Esmé Annabelle. She is now 21 and left home for college in 2019. Fox could not be prouder of his youngest baby and broke the news to People in November 2019, noting that he and his wife would be empty-nesters.

Fox remains grateful for many things, a career that has stood out despite his condition and a wife and kids whose love and support he knows he can always count on.

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