In Memoriam: Christopher Reeve

I never liked the Superman movies. In fact, I really didn't pay any attention to Christopher Reeve until he had the accident that paralyzed him. Some of you might have heard me talking about my mom. She's somewhere between a parapalegic and quadrapalegic. My mom had been in a wheelchair for a few years before Christopher Reeve. In her case it was due to a couple car accidents. I've had the opportunity to meet a number of the people here in Salt Lake that are confined to wheelchairs. Some of them are really amazing people, overcoming or accepting their limitations while others become their disability.
People don't have any idea what Christopher Reeve has done by giving a face to the disabled. He did a lot of great things-- being a guinea pig for stem cell research, letting people interview him and see some of the everyday things that quads go through, and even resuming his career as an actor and director, proving that genius can not be confined like the body. I for one was divided about Christopher Reeve. On the one hand, he did some pretty remarkable things. On the other hand, there's a lot of skepticism. Most people in his circumstances are not well off. Most quads can't afford the round the clock care he was able to receive and they become burdens to family members. The family members who become caretakers find themselves becoming increasingly isolated because they don't fit into any particular mold. Because many of these people are middle-aged or younger, they and their families are hesitant to reach out for the help and relief that senior citizens receive, including care for when the caretaker needs a break. In fact, being a caretaker and finding relief was a lot harder than being a kinkster in Utah...but that's an entirely different story.
Christopher Reeve's accident transformed him from being a rather shallow actor into a true hero for many. That can't be disputed. I admired the guy and I was frustrated at the same time that I couldn't do more for my mom. And yet, now that he's gone I'm not sure what to think. No one was more visible and insisted on making disability an issue people couldn't ignore. He was finally getting somewhere. I'm afraid that people are going to let the issues of the disabled fall by the way-side now and research funds will dwindle once again as memories of the Super Man fade.
I find it almost ironic to hear that a pressure wound, more commonly known as a bed sore was the root cause of his death. Pressure wounds are one of the biggest problems for those confined mostly to bed or to a wheelchair. These wounds are ugly and painful...they remind me of canker sores, only they can be found all over the body, especially on the hips and thighs and back. His death just goes to show that even though he had the best care a quad could ever dream of having, that it simply isn't enough.
Disability is a major issue for me. Just because I no longer take care of my mom, it doesn't mean it became less of an issue. I am always aware that in a split second my world could change; every time I walk across the street or ride my bike I know that I could wake up and find myself confined in a hospital bed. I know that there's the possibility every time I get tied up or play that something could go seriously wrong and something far worse than death could happen to me. I am aware of my own weaknesses and I know that if I don't do the things that I want to do, if I don't LIVE, then the fear of what could happen will be far more paralyzing than any activity I could engage in.
Anyhow, I hope that wherever Christopher Reeve is now, whatever the universe has in store for him, I hope that his memory and courage to fight for his life will make people want to find new and better treatments for the disabled. I hope that his energy will continue to encourage those who find themselves fighting their bodies' weaknesses. Good luck, Mr. Reeve. My thoughts are with the family who grieves for you today.