Posted on 10/11/2004 1:42:46 AM PDT by daylate-dollarshort
Actor Christopher Reeve Dead at 52
Monday, October 11, 2004
BEDFORD, NY — Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday of heart failure, his publicist said. He was 52.
Reeve fell into a coma Saturday after going into cardiac arrest while at his New York home, his publicist, Wesley Combs told The Associated Press by phone from Washington, D.C., on Sunday night.
Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure wound, a common complication for people living with paralysis. In the past week, the wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection.
"On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they provided to my husband," Dana Reeve, Christopher's wife, said in a statement. "I also want to thank his personal staff of nurses and aides, as well as the millions of fans from around the world who have supported and loved my husband over the years."
Reeve broke his neck in May 1995 when he was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Va.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Rest in peace, Mr. Reeve.This was sudden. Poor guy.
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If you call that spitting on a warm grave, I will be arrested for what I will do to Bill Clinton's grave.
It sounds plausible, but an additional factor--one I seem to recall reading about at some point in the last nine years--was Reeve's size. He was a tall guy, and powerfully built (I mean, after all--he was Superman!) and the momentum, if that's the term I want, his body had as it was thrown down was enough to break his neck. What I mean is, and what I read explicitly said, that a smaller man (or a woman) might have been able to literally walk away from that accident.
I thought he was great in DeathTrap ('cept for that kiss). Superman movies, though, we too hokey to watch any more than 5 minutes.
Yes, that's a good point. Reeve was a big guy. All the more weight to fall on his neck.
I really feel sorry for you. You're so wrapped up in your idealogy you can't see there's a canyon sized world of difference between Bill Clinton and Christopher Reeve.
You are right, of course. Still, it makes me cringe to see an adult who hasn't been riding very long take risks and you can't tell them anything, either. They don't know how bad of an accident they can have and how quickly it can happen, unless you've had one. In the blink of an eye, you can be on the ground with a horse on top of you and not even realize anything was going wrong. I've been there, done it several times, had horrible accidents, but I was a kid and very stupid. I wasn't always able to walk away but when I was able, I always got back on. That childhood experience taught me ALOT.
It's astounding to see the films of a diminutive, elderly Ueshiba manhandling young aggressive men twice his size - without seeming to exert himself at all.
But because there's all this throwing and flying through the air, the first thing students learn is how to fall - you learn to tuck and roll and to maintain balance while falling - and to distribute the impact over your body so that you don't just land and stop like a bag full of bricks.
There were several factors that came together to cause a tragic accident, his size was probably one of them.
But I do see a canyon size difference. I was using that canyon size difference as a measuring stick. A ten mile wide canyon size measuring stick.
I wouldn't assume he didn't know the risks, I doubt it was his first fall. We all get lucky at one time or another and some of us don't get lucky, in our cars, on our horses, and in our bath tubs.
'Somewhere in Time'--a wonderful film..Reeve was also good in Mousetrap, terrific comic timing!
This is the first Superman I remember. George Reeves:
My Dad was career Air Force and we moved from Panama back to Fort Worth, Texas in 1958. I was 4 years old and my brother was 2. The folks bought our first TV at Sears and the guy came out to get it set up. The very first TV show I ever watched was Superman.
"Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's ...... Superman!"
RIP
Hey do whatever you want. Just don't expect everyone to like what you say, esp. when the person hasn't even been buried yet.
Oh my gosh, that jump sounds deadly! Cross country isn't for the faint of heart, that's for sure. I saw a horrible accident on tv, the jump was big, at the top of a hill with a huge drop on the other side. One horse hit the jump with his chest, somersaulted over, the rider fell off, went to the bottom of the hill, the horse came down and landed on top of him. They never said what happened to that guy but he wasn't moving when they took him away on the stretcher. They took the jump down after that, nobody else had to try it.
I at the ripe old age of 56 decided to take up horseback riding and already have broken 4 ribs.You are so right, this is a dangerous sport. I don't do anything more than trail riding and don't even canter, but am acutely aware of the dangers of a spook etc. I did what every newbie should NEVER DO, I bought a two yr. old. He is now pushing 4 and it has taken a lot of work to feel confident enough on him. What is Akaido?
I'm realistic enough to know that alot of people will not like what I have to say. Political Correctness and I will not become friends. Thank God I live in the end times of a free country, just before I can no longer say what I believe before I'm stoned in public.
It's truly amazing to me to see FReepers whining about PC!
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