Christopher Reeve Gave His Wife An Out To Leave Him After His Tragic Accident But She Refused And Said "You're Still You"

Nov 05, 2019

Everyone remembers Christopher Reeve as Superman, but in 1995 a near-fatal horse-riding accident turned his life upside down. In the accident, his horse suddenly stopped dead before a jump and ejected Reeve over the jump. The actor landed on his head, broke several vertebrae, and his spinal cord was nearly severed.

For five days after the accident, Christopher was unable to even breathe on his own. However, he soon became able to breathe on his own and speak. He was, however, a quadriplegic and was resigned to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

His wife, Dana, was there for him throughout his struggles to survive and adapt to life as a quadriplegic. He felt he was a burden on his wife and asked her to leave him. At one point, overwhelmed by grief, he even asked her to euthanize him. As stated in his autobiography "Still Me," quoted in the New York Times, Christopher recalled that she answered.

"I will support you whatever you want to do, because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you."

Whenever he felt overwhelmed, Dana reminded him that when you truly loved someone, what happened to the body didn't matter; she loved the essence of him. In their bond, there was no injury; he was still Superman to her.

As he adjusted to his new life, Christopher re-developed a new purpose. Together, he and Dana founded the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a charitable organization devoted to finding cures for spinal cord injuries. It also provides assistance to individuals living with disabilities.

In 2004, Christopher passed away at the age of 52 from sepsis caused by an infected bedsore reported TODAY. Bedsores are a common problem among individuals with spinal cord injuries. His wife, Dana, could not live without him and passed away two years later at the age of 44 from lung cancer according to The Independent. Like most young individuals who develop lung cancer, she had never smoked. The most common causes of lung cancer in non-smokers include exposure to radon gas, air pollution, and second-hand smoke according to the American Cancer Society.

Christopher will be remembered as both Superman and for his efforts to help others after his accident. He and Dana's love story, being there for each other no matter what, will also be remembered as an example of true love.

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