Christopher Reeve's legacy

When Christopher Reeve fell off a horse nine years ago, he had a choice. He could retreat from public view and quietly struggle with his debilitating spinal injury, or he could gather courage and use his fame to draw attention to the need for more research into curing such injuries.

Thank goodness he chose the latter.

On two different occasions, Reeve's saga opened a lot of eyes. The first was in 1995 when he suffered a broken neck. The accident, to one of Hollywood's most athletic actors — the man best known for his portrayal of Superman — showed that anyone can suffer a spinal injury.

The second came Sunday, when he died. Doctors say he lived about as long as could be expected, and that quadriplegics are particularly prone to infections — from the tubes used for breathing machines, from urinary tract problems or from bed sores, the problem that finally claimed him. Life in a wheelchair is difficult and fraught with peril. Not even Superman could rise above it. And yet, because of Reeve and his seemingly unshakable hope, science is indeed closer to finding answers.

He was a champion for stem cell research, the one method that seems most promising, and perhaps most controversial. His Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation has so far given about $40 million toward spinal cord studies. He allowed himself to be a guinea pig for some cutting-edge therapies, and he made headlines four years ago when he was able to finally move an index finger.

In the end, however, he lost his own battle. His end was a sadly predictable one. But the hope he displayed will live on. Even if it takes several more decades before doctors learn how to regenerate spinal cord tissue, there are plenty of people today who feel such success is just a matter of time.

Sure, Reeve had the financial resources to receive the 24-hour care and the expensive equipment he needed. Yes, there are about 250,000 other Americans today who are in wheelchairs with similar spinal cord injuries, and most of them don't have such advantages. But Reeve's decision nearly a decade ago to turn his own misfortune into a relentless quest for a cure has cemented his legacy far more securely than any acting award he otherwise may have won with a healthy body. It has put an unforgettable face on hope for the future.