This morning, CNN reports the death of actor Christopher Reeve:
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.
Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure wound that he developed, a common complication for people living with paralysis. In the past week, the wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection.
“On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they provided to my husband,” Dana Reeve, Christopher’s wife, said in a statement. “I also want to thank his personal staff of nurses and aides, as well as the millions of fans from around the world who have supported and loved my husband over the years.”
Reeve broke his neck in May 1995 when he was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia.
Reeve is one of my personal heroes from the standpoint that he had a horrible tragedy befall him - and then he moved forward and began to work on the problem. A great man of courage, in my mind.
About six years ago I saw him speak in Cleveland along with some of my co-workers. I’ve met very few people with his level of certainty that he would indeed walk again. You could hear that clearly in his voice.
RIP, Christopher. You’ve earned your place in history.
