Reeve's Passing Shocks, Saddens
Christopher Reeve, who transformed himself from Hollywood star to cure research advocate following his own spinal cord injury, died suddenly on Oct. 10. He was 52.

Reeve, who was being treated for a pressure wound, went into cardiac arrest and lapsed into a coma on Oct. 9. The wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection. Although he was rushed to the hospital after the heart attack, Reeve never regained consciousness. His family was at his side at the time of his death.

Reeve will be remembered for his tireless efforts to stimulate paralysis research, as well as the awareness he created through his high-profile presence in the media.

Before his injury, Reeve was best known for his title role in the Superman movies made between 1978 and 1987, but his life took on new meaning after a May 1995 equestrian accident resulted in C1-2 quadriplegia.

After rehab, he returned to his estate in Pound Ridge, N.Y., which became his center of operations. He renovated the house and undertook a rigorous program of physical therapy and functional electric stimulation in order to maximize his chances of walking again. But Reeve soon realized that he had a bigger role to play and entered the world of nonprofit fundraising and advocacy.

In 1999 he merged the Christopher Reeve Foundation with the American Paralysis Association to create the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. It quickly became the leading nonprofit voice advocating for spinal cord research. He testified before Congress and spoke numerous times in public in support of finding a cure for SCI. His wife, Dana, joined him in advocating for better quality of life for people with physical disabilities, and together they established the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center.

In recent years, Reeve focused on promoting the need for stem cell research, especially research involving embryonic stem cells.

Although Reeve never walked again as he had hoped--other than on a controversial digitally manipulated TV ad--he did achieve some functional return during a 1999-2002 study led by Dr. John McDonald at Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis.

In his busy life Reeve found time to write two books, his 1998 autobiography Still Me, followed by a book of personal essays, Nothing is Impossible--Reflections on a New Life, published in 2002. His books echoed the faith in perseverence for which he became known: "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

In 1998 he returned to acting, playing the lead role in a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. He directed his first movie, Into the Gloaming in 1997. His most recent directorial project, The Brooke Ellison Story, is scheduled to air Oct. 25 on the A&E Television Network. Ellison, a Harvard doctoral candidate, is also a C2 quadriplegic and vent user.

New Mobility will explore Reeve's legacy and what it means to the disability community--as well as the connection he shared with Brooke Ellison--in our December cover story.

Meanwhile, community leaders have begun issuing statements about Reeve's impact. "We thank Christopher for his leadership, and for his tireless advocacy," said Marcie Roth, executive director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. "And we especially thank him for letting the world see life after spinal cord injury."

Reeve is survived by his wife, Dana, their son, Will, 12; two children from a relationship with Gae Exton, Alexandra, 21, and Matthew, 25; his mother; his father, Franklin Reeve; and a brother, Benjamin Reeve.

A memorial service is scheduled for Oct. 29 in New York.

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