Superman Actor Christopher Reeve, who, with an indomitable spirit, turned his personal tragedy into helping others by publicizing and promoting the need for spinal cord injury research, died Sunday, October 10, at age 52. Reeve died from complications from a systemic infection resulting from a bedsore.
Reeve became paralyzed from a horseback riding accident in 1995 but helped open the door to hope and treatment options for SCI patients. "Before him, there really was no hope," said John McDonald, MD, who treated Reeve as director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, quoted in an Associated Press (AP) story October 11. "If you had a spinal cord injury like his, there was not much that could be done, but hes changed all that," McDonald said. "Hes demonstrated that there is hope and there are things that can be done."
In 2000, Reeve was able to move his index finger, and a specialized workout regimen made his legs and arms stronger. With rigorous therapy, involving repeated electrical stimulation of the muscles, he also regain sensation in other parts of his body. He vowed to walk again. "I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life," Reeve said, as quoted by the AP. "I dont mean to be reckless, but setting a goal that seems a bit daunting actually is very helpful toward recovery."
Reeve supported many organizations in the quest to find a cure for paralysis. His celebrity status raised awareness as he lobbied in Congress for research and founded the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation that has awarded more than $40 million to neuroscientists around the world, noted a story by Howard Cohen and Rene Rodriguez in The Miami Herald October 12.
Reeve was born September 25 in New York, New York, and started his acting career at age 10 in the Gilbert and Sullivan play, The Yeoman of the Guard, according to the AP. Although he was most famed for his role as Superman, his movie credits included Gray Lady Down, Somewhere in Time, Deathtrap, The Remains of the Day, The Aviator, and Morning Glory, as well as Broadway roles. After his accident, he continued acting and directing, including appearing in Rear Window in 1998.
He is survived by his wife Dana Morosini and their son Will, 12. He also has two children from a previous relationship with Gae Exton: Matthew, 25, and Alexandra, 21. He also is survived by his mother, Barbara Johnson; his father, Franklin Reeve; and his brother, Benjamin Reeve.
