27th May 1995, Christopher Reeve was tragically injured in a horse riding accident...
Almost 8 years after the release of Christopher Reeve's last performance as Superman in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace he had an accident in an equestrian event that made him a quadriplegic.
He began his love for horse riding after learning to ride during the filming of Anna Karenina (1985) and continued to ride up until his accident. He bought a horse for himself nicknamed 'Buck' and trained with him in order to compete in competition. It was at Culpeper, Virginia that competition turned into devastation. Having finished the dressage section coming fourth, he checked the course for the cross-country event. There were some tricky jumps but it was a straight-forward jump that proved to be the problem. Reeve's horse refused jump three and Reeve was flung from his seat. His hands tangled in the reins, he landed head first on the otherside of the fence. Although his helmet saved him from brain damage, his first and second vertebra were shattered by the impact. He was left unable to breath for a significant period until the paramedics arrived.
He used his fame and acting career to raise awareness of issues regarding insurance, wanting better protection for those who suffered and would suffer from accidents like his. He appeared at the Academy Awards ceremony in 1996, which was met with a standing ovation, and used this opportunity to encourage the film world to use its position to deal with issues head on. Reeve went on to create the Christopher Reeve Foundation (now named the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) and made many public appearances to raise awareness about the issues he felt most strongly about. He worked the rest of his life to help those that suffered from similar accidents, right up to his death in 2004.
This catastrophic accident was heard around the world and many sent their thoughts and sympathy to Reeve and his family, but it was Reeve's work in the aftermath that turned the horrific incident into a positive and lasting silver lining. Behind every amazing film and actor there is a story or person that should be our focus, a country or tribe that is suffering, a race being mistreated or discriminated against. Film is a voice that the masses listen to, let the voice be one that helps those that are suffering. Superman used physical strength, Christopher Reeve used mental strength, but they both did it for the good of other people, something worth remembering on this day in film.
by Russell Farnham
His recovery was a long, painful and mentally straining experience, where suicide was considered. The psychological effect must have been unbearable, even for the actor who portrayed the superhero, Superman. Reeve has been interviewed about his accident and recovery on numerous occasions and there is an autobiography entitled Still Me that was published posthumously in 1998. In that book he refers to an episode that helped him to look at his upcoming operation, to reattach his spine to his skull, with hope. The incident was when a short man with a Russian accent came bursting through his hospital room door and demanded that he was to give Reeve a rectal exam. It was Robin Williams reprising his charcter from the movie Nine Months! Williams was a very good friend of Reeve's and that comic relief re-energised his faith in striving to survive.
The operation went well, but he would probably never be able to walk again, breathe for himself again, or return to the life he knew. It was from then on that Reeve became a superhero. His strength and belief in his rehabilitation was beyond the powers of Superman. He worked the rest of his life to regain some control of his physical life. He worked harder and harder throughout the next 9 years of his life and in 2000, he was able to move his index finger and breathe for longer periods without a respirator.
His energy for recovery was inspirational, but he also worked tirelessly to help other victims of tragic accidents.
