Producer Jenifer Westphal Announces Parkinson’s Diagnosis, $1M Donation to Michael J. Fox Foundation
Jenifer Westphal, founder and CEO of production studio Wavelength, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and is using the moment to support research into the disease.
The producer — who has been behind projects including 2018’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the upcoming On Swift Horses, as well as Broadway hits like The Outsiders and Burlesque — received her diagnosis on Aug. 15, 2024 and is going public now, while also donating $1 million to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
The gift, announced during Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, will support research that advances more precise and personalized treatments, including efforts to develop a simple diagnostic test for early detection. Westphal, whose career has been focused on supporting underrepresented storytellers, is also drawing attention to the impact Parkinson’s has on women — approximately 40 percent of people living with the disease are women and their experiences are typically quite different from men.
The producer — who has been behind projects including 2018’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the upcoming On Swift Horses, as well as Broadway hits like The Outsiders and Burlesque — received her diagnosis on Aug. 15, 2024 and is going public now, while also donating $1 million to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
The gift, announced during Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, will support research that advances more precise and personalized treatments, including efforts to develop a simple diagnostic test for early detection. Westphal, whose career has been focused on supporting underrepresented storytellers, is also drawing attention to the impact Parkinson’s has on women — approximately 40 percent of people living with the disease are women and their experiences are typically quite different from men.
- 4/23/2025
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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