The poor man. Right at the moment of a triumph (airing of his new movie). And it must be grim times for his wife and kids.
The good news is that science marches on, at least where Islam does not forbid, and many of us will see, in our lifetime, treatments for acute spinal cord damage such as Mr Reeve suffered. Some future athlete will be carried off a sporting field numb... and walk out of the hospital after treatment. We shall see this, you and I.
Part of the exhilaration in riding a horse hard, or a motorcycle, or driving a car on the edge, or jumping or whatever, is that risk that you take in doing it. That is what makes it exciting. Sometimes you become a statistic -- more excitement than you were looking for. What happens then is a window to your character.
I have seen men I thought were strong fade and give up after such an injury. They die quickly. Or they yield to the impulse of suicide. The only reason we know that Reeve despaired is because he told us. Just think how many young spinal injury patients have been encouraged by the indomitable example of Christopher Reeve!
Who cares what his politics were? Not I: there was a man, and an American, by God.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Great post in #38. And as for this: "Just think how many young spinal injury patients have been encouraged by the indomitable example of Christopher Reeve!"
iirc, I believe he spent a lot of time communicating with young people with this devastating injury, encouraging them, giving them hope.
I don't have a link, though--it was just something I heard/saw on the radio or tv some time ago.