ABSTRACT
In the 1980s, Christopher Reeve was known to the world as famed cinematic hero Superman. Around the later twentieth century, however, he became more well known as a different kind of hero. During a 1995 equestrian competition, Reeve was thrown from his horse and landed on his head, fracturing the cervical vertebrae 1–2, directly adjacent to the skull. Also known as a ‘hangman’s fracture’, Reeve’s injuries would have historically proven fatal. Though he faced endless difficulties and complications, he managed to survive, and dedicated himself to being an advocate for research and recovery in spinal cord injured individuals. Reeve put a face on spinal cord injuries, and with his wife by his side founded the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to support research efforts and provide support to others living with spinal injuries. Among the many accomplishments to come from Reeve’s activism include attention to the differences between complete and incomplete injuries. Though typically characterized by the level of function retained after injury, the majority of spinal cord injuries today are actually incomplete, meaning that some portion of the spinal column has been spared from damage, providing increased potential for recovery of function. Further, Reeve’s injury, which began as a complete traumatic injury to the spinal cord, over time was rediagnosed as incomplete, indicating that while regrowth of nervous tissue takes years at a time, no injury should ever be deemed ‘permanent’. Following his 2004 death from physiological complications of his injury, Reeve’s children took up his mantle of advocacy, and continue the mission that he began. Today, Reeve’s name is synonymous with hope, immortalizing him as the one true superman.
