A Super Man

Please visit the Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center:

The PRC is a branch of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which is dedicated to finding treatments for spinal cord disease and trauma. There is much work to do, but there is also great momentum toward the goal.

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(Original source: Associated Press, reprinted in just about every news media outlet in the nation)

BEDFORD, N.Y. -- Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday of heart failure, his publicist said. He was 52. Reeve fell into a coma Saturday after going into cardiac arrest while at his New York home, his publicist, Wesley Combs told The Associated Press by phone from Washington, D.C., on Sunday night. His family was at his side at the time of death.

Mr. Reeve was quoted as saying:

"Hollywood needs to do more," he said in the March 1996 Oscar awards appearance. "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else. There is no challenge, artistic or otherwise, that we can't meet."

"I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life."

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As an actor, Christopher Reeve portrayed a super-hero who was capable of amazing feats no human could accomplish. As a man, Reeve proved he was worthy of the moniker Hero when he refused to allow a tragedy to destroy his life and used his influence as a celebrity to help others by raising awareness regarding paralysis. His optimism was amazing, truly an inspiration not only for other people who are paralyzed, but for all of us. He showed us the amazing feats we humans are capable of accomplishing. He was an actor who was Superman. He was a Super Man.