[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 30 (Thursday, March 9, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1955-S1956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN MEMORY OF DANA REEVE

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary 
woman, Dana Reeve, who died on Monday, March 6 at the age of 44. Dana's 
courage, grace and love in dealing with the tragic paralysis of her 
late husband, actor Christopher Reeve, were an inspiration to millions 
of Americans. Dana and Christopher's tireless advocacy on behalf of 
individuals and families living with spinal cord injury made them 
American heroes.
  Dana Morosini was born in 1961 to Dr. Charles Morosini and Helen 
Morosini. She grew up in Scarsdale, New York, graduated cum laude from 
Middlebury College in Vermont and studied acting at the California 
Institute of the Arts.
  Dana was an accomplished actress and singer. She appeared on 
Broadway, off Broadway and in regional theatre, on television and in 
HBO films, and performed as a singer on national television and in 
venues around New York. Reeve co-hosted ``Lifetime Live,'' a daily 
women's information program on the Lifetime network.
  It was while Dana performed in a late-night cabaret at the 
Williamstown Theatre Festival in 1987 that she met actor Christopher 
Reeve, who was in the audience. They married on April 11, 1992. Their 
son Will was born in 1992. She was also stepmother to Christopher's 
children Matthew and Alexandra Exton Reeve. She was a devoted and 
loving mother, deeply committed to her family.
  In 1995, America watched in disbelief as an equestrian accident left 
Christopher Reeve, perhaps best known for his film role as Superman, 
paralyzed. America was inspired as Dana Reeve courageously and publicly 
supported Christopher with humor and grace. Dana and Christopher helped 
propel spinal cord injury into the national spotlight, working to 
increase funding and find a cure. They became actively involved in 
fighting for the rights of the disabled and helping families live with 
spinal cord injury. Our hearts went out to Dana and her family when 
Christopher Reeve passed away on October 10, 2004.
  Dana was a founding board member of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, 
which became the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation after its 
merger with the American Paralysis Association. Dana took over as chair 
after her husband's death. Dana was deeply involved with the 
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, PRC, which 
promotes the health and well-being of people and families living with 
paralysis.
  Dana was also committed to the Reeve-Irvine Center for Spinal Cord

[[Page S1956]]

Research at the University of California, Irvine. The Reeve-Irvine 
Research Center is the premier research and education center working to 
find innovative new treatments for spinal cord injury. I was proud to 
work with Christopher and Dana to support therapeutic stem cell 
research, which holds the promise to treat a vast array of diseases, 
including juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, heart disease, 
and cancer as well as spinal cord injuries.
  Dana received numerous awards in recognition of her strength, courage 
and positive attitude: the American Cancer Society's Mother of the Year 
Award in 2005; the Visiting Nurses Association's Caregiver's Courage 
Award; and she was named one of America's Outstanding Women of 1995 by 
``CBS This Morning.''
  In August, 2005, America was upset to learn that Dana Reeve had lung 
cancer. Dana and Christopher were both nonsmokers. As always, Dana 
remained an inspiration. In a May 2005 interview, she said ``Now, more 
than ever, I feel Chris with me as I face this challenge,'' she said. 
``As always, I look to him as the ultimate example of defying the odds 
with strength, courage, and hope in the face of life's adversities.'' 
She also said ``There's a formula Chris and I used all the time. When 
you least feel like it, do something for someone else. You forget about 
your own situation. It gives you a purpose, as opposed being sorrowful 
and lonely. It makes me feel better when things are too hard for me.''
  Dana and Christopher showed a deep love for each other, their family 
and for humanity. They will always be remembered. We must renew our 
efforts to find cures for spinal cord injuries and cancer and to 
advance stem cell research on their behalf.
  Dana Reeve is survived by her son Will; father, Dr. Charles Morosini; 
sisters Deborah Morosini and Adrienne Morosini Heilman; and two 
stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra Exton Reeve.

                          ____________________