MovieClip accessing a variable that is in a function outside of the movieclip

I am trying to access the variable myParentVariable within the function myParentFunction() from the MovieClip's myMovieClip_mc function myMovieClipFunction().

I know that It works if I declare the variable myParentVariable outside of the myParentFunction() but I don't really want to do that, Any help would be great.

main timeline

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

myParentFunction();

function myParentFunction():void

{

var myParentVariable:int = 50;

myMovieClip_mc.myMovieClipFunction();

}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside MovieClip (movie clip name is myMovieClip_mc)

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

function myMovieClipFunction():void

{

//Trying to access the variable myParentVariable

trace(MovieClip(root).myParentVariable);

trace(MovieClip(this.root).myParentVariable);

trace(MovieClip(parent).myParentVariable);

trace(MovieClip(this.parent).myParentVariable);

//None of these work!

}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

This work but I don't want the variable outside of the function

main timeline

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

var myParentVariable:int = 50;

myParentFunction();

function myParentFunction():void

{

myMovieClip_mc.myMovieClipFunction();

}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside MovieClip (movie clip name is myMovieClip_mc)

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------

function myMovieClipFunction():void

{

trace(MovieClip(root).myParentVariable);

}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------