Ryan Reynolds is raising awareness of his late father living with Parkinson’s disease and also having to deal with hallucinations and delusions related to the condition.
The 47-year-old actor’s father James died following a battle with the degenerative illness as the first Deadpool film was about to go in production.
On Instagram, Reynolds shared a campaign video for the US charity More To Parkinson’s featuring him and his mother Tammy Reynolds talking about the impact of James having mental issues for the condition, which is most known for the symptom of involuntary shaking.
He said: “Things happened that changed my life. The first is that Deadpool got greenlit, but at exactly the same time, we lost my father to Parkinson’s disease.”
Reynolds called him a “present father”, but “complicated” and “a bit of a mystery” to the actor.
He added: “Basically, you sort of know what to expect from Parkinson’s physically, but no one warned us about the hallucinations and delusions, around 50% of people with Parkinson’s endured this at some point.
“He began thinking strange things with family and our motives.”
His mother recalled what she called the “brutal” period, where James was convinced of things that did not happen such as taking a car trip with her, that she did not take.
“You’re not just losing your partner, but you also start to lose yourself but today there’s more help than ever,” she said.
“We were super worried about my mom, because when your world is orbiting around somebody who is experiencing this, you feel incredibly helpless, and I imagine alone,” Reynolds said.
“I would have loved to have had the option to help my dad see reality a little bit more clearly.”
He also wrote that James was “diagnosed with Parkinson’s around 25 years ago”, which subsequently inspired him to become a board member at fellow Canada-born actor Michael J Fox’s foundation.
Reynolds said: “In that time there have been so many advancements I wish my dad and our family had the chance to benefit from.
“Dealing with the nuance, complexity and unexpected symptoms of this disease can feel overwhelming and, at least in my case, slightly hopeless.
“But if there’s one thing I hope everyone knows, it’s how important it is to not face it all alone.
“My dad’s gone now, but I’m lucky to continue working toward solutions with people who are, thankfully, much smarter than me. If you or someone you love is touched by this disease and its symptoms, check out MoreToParkinsons.com for more info.”
UK charities include Parkinson’s UK.
According to the NHS, symptoms can include depression and anxiety as well as dementia which can include delusions and hallucinations.
Fox was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease a year after Back To The Future Part III was released in 1990, and a decade later founded the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.
Reynolds, who recently released the box office hit Deadpool & Wolverine co-starring Hugh Jackman, co-owns Wrexham AFC with Rob McElhenney.
