The late Christopher Reeve not only was a superhero on the big screen, but the man who remains the embodiment of Superman for many was heroic in real life as well. After becoming a quadriplegic following a tragic equestrian accident in 1995, Reeve pushed for spinal cord injury research with a goal of a world without anyone in wheelchairs.
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Now, almost 14 years after Reeve’s death, his son Will is calling on fans to help realize his father’s dream.
In an op-ed published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Will — who was only three-years-old at the time of his father’s accident — wrote that new developments in spinal cord research has brought them closer to ever to Reeve’s world without wheelchairs.
“My parents worked tirelessly, through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, to make sure that spinal cord research would move beyond the dark space into a realm of light and hope,” he wrote. “That is where we find ourselves today — on the cusp of delivering on my father’s dream.”
Will went on to explain that, due to the repurposing of an existing device used to treat chronic pain, four young men who had been completely paralyzed were able to regain certain functions — including the ability to stand and move their legs. However, while this development is incredibly exciting, getting it into wide use and that’s where Will says they need all the help they can get.
“At the Reeve Foundation, we knew we needed to get this breakthrough to more people,” he wrote. “So, we launched The Big Idea, a fundraising campaign to fast track this groundbreaking treatment. Right now, there are no evidence-based treatments for spinal cord injury other than standard medical care. But the Reeve Foundation believes every end has its beginning. The Big Idea is the beginning of the end of paralysis.”
Despite his paralysis, Reeve — who may be best known for his role as The Man of Steel in 1978’s Superman — never gave up hope that he would walk again. In addition to founding the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Reeve lobbied for human embryonic stem cell research and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to research, The Reeve Foundation has also offered support to other none profits to help further accessibility initiatives and services and has awarded $23 million in grants. Now, Will believes even more can be done.
“To quote my father once more: ‘It comes down to us. We have the power to make an enormous difference,’” he writes. “We need to mobilize the next generation of advocates to carry out this mission. There are many ways to help, both big and small; the rewards are life-changing.”
