Inspiring People

Christopher Reeve

Some of the qualities of Christopher Reeve were that he demonstrated great courage, confidence and trust.

Christopher Reeve was born in New York on 25th September 1952. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 and went on to become one of America's most famous actors. He starred in several films but is best known for portraying Superman/Clark Kent in four films, from 1978 to 1987.

In 1987, he led a public rally in Chile in support of 77 Chilean actors threatened with execution by the dictator, Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet cancelled the sentence after the ensuing media coverage and Reeve was awarded three national distinctions from Chile for his actions.

In May 1995, Christopher Reeve was severely paralyzed in an accident. He was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Reeve was initially unable to breathe on his own and many times his breathing tube would disconnect and he would be at the mercy of nurses to come in and save his life. After lots of complicated surgery and a very difficult rehabilitation, Reeve learned how to use a wheelchair by blowing air through a straw.

Understandably, Reeve was very low and depressed in the aftermath of his accident. However, with the support of his family and friends, he realised that his life was still worth living and decided not to give up.

He went on to show incredible strength and determination in spite of his disability and continued to make significant achievements against the odds. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation; a national, not-for-profit organisation that supports research to develop effective treatments and a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The foundation also allocates a portion of its resources to grants that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. In 2002, he wrote a book called Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life.

He died on 10th October 2004.