The extraordinary journey of actor Christopher Reeve is highlighted by Warner Bros and Max this October 9 in a documentary entitled Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. The production focuses in particular on the career of Christopher Reeve, but also on his private life and the accident which turned his life upside down and that of his loved ones. In May 1995, the actor became quadriplegic following a fall from a horse during a competition. A tragedy that led to his death less than 10 years later.
After his accident, the man who lent his features to Clark Kent, aka Superman, transformed into a completely different kind of hero. Christopher Reeve founded, with his wife and the support of those close to him, an association to encourage and invest in research, particularly stem cell research. The actor thus fought for people with disabilities for many years hoping to be able to offer them a better quality of life.
Christopher Reeve’s wife diagnosed with cancer
If Christopher Reeve was surrounded by a team of health professionals to take care of him, it was his wife, Dana Reeve, who gave him the best support. Just after the accident and as highlighted in the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, it was his wife’s words that encouraged the paralyzed actor to fight. Throughout his convalescence, Christopher Reeve can count on the support of Dana, who invests with him in their foundation while continuing to take care of their son Will, born three years before his father’s accident.
The couple also look after two children from Christopher Reeve’s previous marriage, Alexandra and Matthew. A whole family who had to say goodbye to the actor on October 10, 2004, after an infection got the better of him. But the death of Christopher Reeve was unfortunately not the only tragedy his children had to overcome. Just a few months after the actor’s death, Dana Reeve has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Dana Reeve died a year and a half after Christopher Reeve
The mother, who put her career as an actress and singer on hold to take care of her husband, did not never smoked in his life. It has been speculated that after singing numerous times in places where people smoked, she may have been a passive smoker and that this may have affected her lungs.
Dana Reeve has started radiotherapy treatment
after her diagnosis, and explained in several public appearances that the treatment was working and her tumor was shrinking.
The late diagnosis and the advanced stage of her cancer when she discovered it, however, worked to her disadvantage. Christopher Reeve’s wife sang one last time in public in January 2006 at Madison Square Garden in New York. She died on March 6, 2006leaving behind her 14-year-old son, Will Reeve. This new tragedy which affected Christopher Reeve’s children only brought Will, Alexandra and Matthew together even more, although the latter two did not have the same mother. Following Dana’s death, the foundation in Christopher Reeve’s name was renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
