The Michael J. Fox Foundation Annual Report 2017 – Roadmaps for Progress | Page 37

2017 Annual Report
Milestone Marker:
Public Policy
and Advocacy
M I LE
TON
As people with Parkinson’s disease (PD)
and their loved ones know, you can, and
often must, be your own best advocate. In
2017, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF)
worked with advocates across the country to
speak out for public policies that support PD
research and care.
The Foundation began the year by hosting
its first Parkinson’s Policy Forum. More than
200 patients and care partners — including
Michael J. Fox — traveled from 43 states to
our nation's capital for two days of advocacy
education and training, followed by nearly
200 meetings with members of Congress to
highlight the needs of the PD community.
“We are all advocating for
a chance to have the best
quality of life possible.”
Michael addressed the Forum, saying: “We
stand ready to work together to preserve
critical federal funds for research and ensure
access to health care for everyone living with
Parkinson’s.” He led a bipartisan meeting of
House leadership to speak about the need for
increased research funding.
Advocates went home ready to energize the
broader community. “Always remember,
your lawmakers work for you. Their offices
are open, and they want to hear from you,”
says John Humphreys of Canton, Georgia.
Throughout 2017, our community continued
to reach out to legislators — through calls,
emails and in-person meetings — to tell them
how their actions and votes impact their
constituents living with PD. More than 15,000
advocates contacted Congress over 67,000
times over the course of the year. the government to create a national strategy
As a result, the collective power of the PD
community reverberated throughout 2017
policy decisions. Congress preserved a
program at the Department of Defense that
seeks to understand the links between PD and
military service. Bipartisan support for the
RAISE Family Caregivers Act, which directs for a chance to have the best quality of life
to better support care partners, also was
secured. (The bill was signed into law by the
President in January 2018.) And people with
Parkinson’s and their care partners educated
Congress on the importance of access to
comprehensive health care. Says Maria
de Leon of Nacogdoches, Texas, of what
motivates her action, “We are all advocating
possible and to remain productive members
of society.”
Learn about the latest Parkinson’s policy
issues and make your voice heard at
advocate.michaeljfox.org.
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