Fans of Michael J. Fox — whocharmed America with his boy-nextdoorpersona in films such as Back tothe Future and television sitcoms such asSpin City — were shocked to learn in1998 that the young actor was afflictedwith Parkinson’s disease. Two years later,Fox quit his hit sitcom to serve as a lobbyistand advocate for others with thecondition. To date, The Michael J. FoxFoundation for Parkinson’s Research hasfunded nearly $30 million in research,according to the foundation’s Web site.

But Fox is not alone. More than 100 celebrities in the entertainment, sports, and media industries have publicly disclosed a medical illness to raise awareness and funding for research and treatments, says Christina Beck, an associate professor of communication studies who is developing a book on the topic.

These celebrities — from Today show host Katie Couric to Superman actor Christopher Reeve — embrace their personal health crises as an opportunity to contribute to the larger good, Beck says. It’s become more prevalent in recent years, she says, as celebrities lose their fear of stigmas related to disease and how it might impact their careers. Instead, more are using their celebrity status to gain access to policymakers. “Not everyone would be able to walk into a congressional hearing, but Michael J. Fox and Christopher Reeve are actively sought,” she says.

Some politicians have criticized the flood of celebrity faces in the halls of Congress, arguing for more testimony from researchers and physicians, Beck notes. But many celebrities are attempting to aid the medical profession directly by setting up foundations that can raise funds for the cause and award research grants to scientists. Reeve, paralyzed after a fall from a horse, established a research center that has raised $1.3 million to date for spinal cord injury studies, according to the Reeve-Irvine Research Center Web site.

Such celebrities also can put a human face on diseases, help lift the stigma from certain conditions, and serve as the voice for those suffering from ailments in the general public, Beck adds. They’ve been particularly effective at reaching the average American, the scholar argues, because celebrities such as Fox and Reeve haven’t publicly focused on their own personal struggles with illness.“(Reeve) obviously wants help, but if he framed it as ‘it’s all about me,’ I don’t think it would be as favorably received,” says Beck, who has published three books, including two on health communication issues.

Beck, who will publish a chapter on Fox’s experience in the forthcoming book Case Studies in Health Communication, continues to compile congressional testimony, newspaper and magazine clippings, and other data for the book, which she hopes to publish within the next few years. In addition to studying the impact of celebrities, she also hopes to explore the phenomenon of ordinary people who almost gain celebrity status — such as the young Ryan White, who died of AIDS — by revealing their medical struggles to the world.

For more information about Christina Beck, visit
http://www.coms.ohiou.edu/fac_beck.php.