A detailed account of Christopher Reeve’s spinal cord injury, its treatment, and its impact upon research 30 years later

On the screen, Christopher Reeve was Superman. Off-screen, Reeve was an avid equestrian who experienced arguably one of the most famous horse riding accidents to date when a fall from the saddle led to comminuted C1 and C2 fractures with an associated spinal cord injury that left him quadriplegic. Reeve publicly endured a grueling rehabilitation including personalized training plans and experimental treatments coupled with severe depression. With his family and friends by his side, Reeve shocked everyone when he was able to lift a finger on his left hand and feel the hugs of his family several years after being diagnosed with an American Spinal Injury Association grade A injury. He went on to establish the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to advocate for research funding and quality-of-life programs for patients with spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, Christopher Reeve died in 2004. However, his legacy lives on in the lasting impact he made in spinal cord injury awareness and in the continued work of his children through the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first comprehensive look at the life, injury, and legacy of Christopher Reeve and his foundation now 30 years after such a fateful accident.