Ryan Reynolds’ father, James C. Reynolds, has lost his battle with Parkinson's disease, the actor revealed Wednesday. He was 74 years old.
Reynolds broke the sad news via social media and shared a touching photo of his dad holding him when he was a baby. He also tweeted a message for anyone who could to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Fox, who has the disease, created the foundation to help fund Parkinson's research.
During an interview on the Today show last year, Reynolds alongside Fox, spoke about how his father did not like to disclose that he did in fact have the disease.
"He comes from a pretty prideful generation and he doesn't really talk about it too much. But, he's maybe said it once or twice out loud," Reynolds explained.
Parkinson’s is a progressive disease of the nervous system marked by tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement. It is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It effects 1 million Americans.