Superman: More Powerful Than Ever!
By Liz Sterling

"There are a lot of heroes who have become celebrities-but not many celebrities who have become heroes."
Wally Amos

This morning, as I stretched my body to greet the rising sun, I paused for a moment to reflect on my feelings about Christopher Reeve. I prayed that his prayers will be answered and I gave thanks for his diligent and unwavering efforts to set free the 400,000 Americans who suffer from paralysis. Lying in my own bed, I imagined the frustration that Reeve continually confronts and then as if a mighty force emerged, I was soothed in knowing that he has turned his limitation into action. In my determined respect to see the cosmic plan in all of life, I believe that Christopher Reeve is a real super hero. He shares with us his personal insight.

"When the first Superman movie came out, I was often asked 'What is a hero?' I remember the glib response I repeated so many times. My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences Now my definition is different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure despite overwhelming obstacles." Reeve, who helps thousands to persevere and have faith, now fits into this category.

To look at him, you would marvel at how technology has activated his will. Each day, he is lifted from his bed and placed in a motorized chair that he operates by breathing into a straw or "sipper", as he calls it. This gives him the freedom of mobility but it takes more than an hour for his aids to clothe him. He likes to wear khaki trousers and jersey shirts. Every aspect of his daily care requires someone else's help. His wife Dana carries most of the responsibility--overseeing the small army of part-time therapists and attendants who provide support for her husband.

On the porch of his home in Bedford, New York, Reeve comments about life before and after the horseback riding accident in 1995 that fractured his spine shattering the C1-C2 vertebrae. Ironically, before the accident, Reeve was one of the most self-reliant and superb sportsmen around. Besides performing many of his own action stunts, he earned his pilot's license in his early twenties and twice flew solo across the Atlantic. Scuba diving, sailing and skiing were favorite sports and horses became his passion in the 1990's. He also had a high profile as an activist, environmentalist and patron of the arts. Much has changed in his life. Some has not. He believes there is a cosmic purpose to his accident. Reeve has used his clout to influence stem cell research and fund experiments for the development of effective treatments, a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other disabilities that affect the central nervous system.

Reeve continues to be extremely active. His directorial debut in the HBO film The Gloaming (1997) starring Glenn Close, Brigitte Fonda and Woopie Goldberg earned him 5 Emmy nominations and 6 Cable Ace Awards including best Dramatic Special and Best Director. He also received a Golden Globe Award and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in the updated classic Hitchcock thriller Rear Window (1999). In 1999 Reeve also garnered a Grammy for the Spoken Word Album, Still Me, the audio complement to his autobiography of the same name.

He tells us he still dreams of running, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and flying through life with ease but now, he focuses his daytime attention on walking. His goal, to walk by his 50th birthday, on September 25, 2002, has been postponed. The timing is not quite right, but he has not given up the fight. Well with a little digital wizardry, he did walk in a commercial that aired during last year's Super Bowl. The Nuveen Investments commercial stirred up much controversy - exactly what Reeve hoped would happen. He believes that, "we have to start talking about the issue. This commercial did just that. People are still talking about it and we have accomplished our goal of bringing more awareness to the plight of those afflicted with paralysis." Reeve issued a statement through Nuveen in which he declared that, "most scientists agree-with enough money and talent focused on spinal cord repair, the goal of walking in the near future is a real possibility. Researchers now believe that advancing nerve endings carry chemical markers that guide them straight to receptors at their destination."

With this understanding, Reeve continues to bridge science and spirit by recognizing the newest findings that suggest that it looks as if the body wants to be whole. "We have now seen amazing advances in the regeneration of spinal cord tissue," Reeve says. "With millions of dollars being poured into research through the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. I envision the day when the right combination of cells can be injected into my spine and initiate a gradual process of recovery. I will continue to urge funding by the American Government in support of stem cell research. I didn't like the compromise," he says, "but it's better than nothing. We'll find a way around it." Hope is uncompromising.

Christopher Reeve is a lot like Superman. Both have become a symbol of strength, a force of good and advocates for enduring despite overwhelming obstacles. "Before a catastrophe," Reeve reminds us "we can't imagine coping with burdens that might confront us in a dire moment. Then, when that moment arrives, we suddenly find that we have resources inside us that we knew nothing about. "What I've discovered," he proudly announces, "is that we are able-all of us-to do much more than we think we can. Just look at me."

And we do look at him and others as they forge into unknown territory and break new ground. The cosmic connection lives through people like Christopher Reeve and continues to unfold the majestic landscape of a great new promise for humanity. We are now witnessing the expansion and stretching of our belief systems as we embrace the frontier of vast new discoveries. This to me signals the opportunity for us to envision unbounded freedom for all. Thank you Christopher Reeve for your courage, dignity, grace and service to humanity!


© 2002 Balance Magazine