John Kerry just mentioned him...
Christopher Reeve died yesterday (Saturday) at age 52. He had sudden cardiac arrest, then went into a brief coma. It sounds like the illness was completely sudden. Just a week ago, he was speaking at a rehab home. Check this out, from MSN:
"Reeve was born Sept. 25, 1952, in New York City, son of a novelist and a newspaper reporter. About the age of 10, he made his first stage appearance - in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Yeoman of the Guard” at McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J."
And did you know he was in a re-make of Rear Window?? (The main character is confined to a wheelchair anyhow.)
He was, of course, an important and persuasive spokesperson for stem cell research and other efforts toward curing paralysis. In the past, I've been semi-sympathetic, thinking that such medical advances are good, but will only be available to the Hollywood rich anyway, and that the intense resources involved for individual treatment could be diverted to help thousands. But I just heard a quote from him on BBC:
"Medical research is not speculative. It is not a waste of time. It is the only way to remove suffering...(and boost our economy in the process.)"
Which reminds me that regardless of the rich, the poor, Hollywood -- individual suffering is important. And if I'm going to be a teacher who thinks that helping individual children is worth the resources, then I have to remember this.
It's really too bad, because he was on electrode treatment and was actually able to move most of his parts individually. His will to live and recover, spurred by his children, was quite remarkable, as was his wife's tenacity.
I wonder how this will affect stem cell research and whether it will be slipped into the election.
"Reeve was born Sept. 25, 1952, in New York City, son of a novelist and a newspaper reporter. About the age of 10, he made his first stage appearance - in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Yeoman of the Guard” at McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J."
And did you know he was in a re-make of Rear Window?? (The main character is confined to a wheelchair anyhow.)
He was, of course, an important and persuasive spokesperson for stem cell research and other efforts toward curing paralysis. In the past, I've been semi-sympathetic, thinking that such medical advances are good, but will only be available to the Hollywood rich anyway, and that the intense resources involved for individual treatment could be diverted to help thousands. But I just heard a quote from him on BBC:
"Medical research is not speculative. It is not a waste of time. It is the only way to remove suffering...(and boost our economy in the process.)"
Which reminds me that regardless of the rich, the poor, Hollywood -- individual suffering is important. And if I'm going to be a teacher who thinks that helping individual children is worth the resources, then I have to remember this.
It's really too bad, because he was on electrode treatment and was actually able to move most of his parts individually. His will to live and recover, spurred by his children, was quite remarkable, as was his wife's tenacity.
I wonder how this will affect stem cell research and whether it will be slipped into the election.