[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO CHRISTOPHER REEVE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, on the eve of Christopher Reeve's 50th 
birthday, I would like to recognize his unfailing courage, strength, 
and faith as he has worked to overcome paralysis. Not only has 
Christopher Reeve put a human face on spinal cord injury, but he has 
become a leading advocate for medical research, better care for people 
with spinal cord injury and for increased quality of life for the more 
than two million Americans living with paralysis.
  After graduating from Cornell University in 1974 and studying at 
Julliard, Christopher Reeve made his broadway debut opposite Katherine 
Hepburn in A Matter of Gravity. Best known for his star role in 
Superman and its many sequels, Christopher Reeve has dazzled the big 
screen and stage in numerous productions, such as The Bostonians, 
Street Smart, Speechless, Noises Off, Above Suspicion, The Remains of 
the Day, and most recently, Rear Window. He made his directorial debut 
with “In the Gloaming” in 1997, which received five Emmy 
nominations and published his autobiography, Still Me in 1998, which 
spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.
  But beyond his experience within the entertainment arena, Christopher 
Reeve has achieved great success in a new and much more challenging 
role: a survivor of spinal cord injury who is working toward a medical 
miracle. Christopher Reeve has become a beacon of hope for all people 
with spinal cord injury and paralysis. The recent news reports about 
his medical progress has been an inspiration for not only those living 
with paralysis, but also for the medical research community. For the 
first time since his accident in 1995, Christopher Reeve is able to 
wiggle his fingers and toes, experience sensation in his body, and tell 
the difference between hot and cold—something that the medical 
community did not believe was possible in someone so far removed from 
the initial time of his accident.
  Christopher Reeve's recovery and recent scientific evidence show that 
there is hope for those living with paralysis. At research centers in 
the United States, Europe and Japan, new techniques of rigorous 
exercise has helped an estimated 500 persons with paraplegia and 
limited sensations in their lower bodies to walk for short distances, 
either unassisted or using walkers.
  While the results of these new methods are quite miraculous, the 
limits of what physical exercise can do for patients remains grossly 
understudied. While each person and each injury is unique, and some 
people recover spontaneously, an estimated 200,000 Americans are living 
with spinal cord injuries that have not improved. Which therapy or 
combination of therapies will work for each persons is unknown. Today 2 
million Americans are living with paralysis, including spinal cord 
injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, ALS and spina 
bifida. We need research to see how these new interventions work on the 
entire population of individuals living with paralysis.
  Tomorrow, I will join my colleagues in introducing the Christopher 
Reeve Paralysis Act of 2002, which seeks to further advance the science 
needed to help those living with paralysis take that next step and at 
the same time build quality of life program in the state that will 
further advance full participation, independent living, self-
sufficiency and equality of opportunity for individuals with paralysis 
and other physical disabilities.
  Those living with paralysis face astronomical medical costs, and our 
best estimates tell us that only one-third of those individuals remain 
employed after paralysis. At least one-third of those living with 
paralysis have incomes of $15,000 or less. And over the past 20 years, 
overall days spent in the hospital and rehabilitation centers for those 
living with paralysis have been cut in half.
  Christopher Reeve's recent triumphs in overcoming paralysis prove how 
close we are to achieving major breakthroughs for people who have 
paralysis. The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act of 2002 will ensure that 
the federal government does its part to help the more than two million 
Americans with paralysis who are still waiting for their own 
breakthroughs.
  As John F. Kennedy once said, “The stories of past courage can 
define that ingredient—they can teach, they can offer hope, they 
can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For 
this each man must look into his own soul.” Since Christopher 
Reeve was injured, his tireless efforts to walk again, coupled with his 
faith, passion and commitment to improve quality of life for others 
living with paralysis, make him an inspiration to us all. Happy 
Birthday, Chris.




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