Paralysed actor, director and activist Christopher Reeve has accepted $2 million from the US government to set up a special resource centre dedicated to improving the lives of Americans suffering from paralysis. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Center, to be based in New Jersey, will be part of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and include a library, web site and referral services.
“One of the most disabling aspects of paralysis is the lack of resources and support necessary to get back into a world that has completely changed for the paralysed individual – both economically and socially,” says Christopher. The Superman star has been paralysed from the neck down since being injured in a riding accident in 1995. He is one of over two million Americans affected by paralysis.
President and CEO of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Mitchell R Stoller, explained that the new centre would “allow individuals living with paralysis to have more control over their lives”. He added: “It will help individuals, their families and care givers learn about healthy living, how to find employment, and how to participate in their communities.”
In accepting the money the actor thanked members of Congress for their dedication to the issue while America is at war. “That’s a big message saying that…the government cares about our everyday lives,” he said. The day before the presentation he had spoken out about the importance of not letting terrorism distract from the neurosurgeons’ task of finding ways to repair spinal cord injuries and cure neurological diseases.
The first phase of the Resource Centre includes a national internet and postal survey.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
