Net mourns death of Christopher Reeve

Fans of Christopher Reeve have taken to the Web to express their sorrow over the actor's death Sunday. Reeve, 52, was best known for performing the role of comic book legend Superman in a series of movies--and for his battle against paralysis.

The performance of Web sites for organizations named after Reeve was clearly slowed Monday morning, as news spread of the actor's death, from heart failure. The home page for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which funds research for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders, was intermittently inaccessible throughout the morning. The Web site for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center also appeared to be functioning with heavy traffic.

Photo: Don Flood

Christopher Reeve (1952-2004)

Although Reeve first became famous as the star of the Superman franchise, which debuted in 1978 and ended with 1987's "Superman IV," the actor became closely associated with a number of causes after a 1995 horse-riding accident left him paralyzed. Most recently, the actor had become an outspoken advocate for stem cell research, a politically sensitive issue that has become a differentiating factor between President Bush and his Democratic challenger, Sen. John F. Kerry.

Kathy Lewis, chief executive of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, posted a statement Monday on the group's Web site that praised the actor's courage and determination in battling his own injuries while fighting for the rights of other disabled people.

"Christopher was a hero to many people, yet he always said it was the ordinary people living with disability who were truly extraordinary," Lewis wrote. "His memory will serve as inspiration for the work of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, and we will continue in his honor to be steadfast in our goal of finding treatments and cures for paralysis."

The site reported that Reeve died of heart failure after going into cardiac arrest and falling into a coma. Reeve was reportedly being treated for a pressure wound he developed, which the foundation labeled as a common complication for people living with paralysis. In the past week, the wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection. The group said Reeve's death was not a direct result of his spinal cord injury, but an example of the way secondary complications can have fatal consequences for people who are paralyzed.

Mourners posted numerous tributes to Reeve on several popular message boards, including the pages of the Internet Movie Database, which is well-known simply as IMDb.

Said one posting on IMDb, "Every time I saw him on TV after his accident, he put life in perspective for me. His bravery was truly an inspiration!"

Fans outside the United States also expressed their sadness over the loss of the actor. Many of the posts to a tribute page hosted by the BBC touched on Reeve's unwavering perseverance in the name of medical research. A woman identifying herself as Emma Lacey of Southampton, England, detailed how the actor had helped others deal with their own disabilities.

"Christopher was an inspiration to me after (my) own accident eight years ago," she wrote. "It was through him that I believed that anything was still possible. It is a sad loss, but he will remain a huge memory to all who watched him go from Superman to real-life hero."

Uh, actually...

From news.com: "While Reeve first became famous as the star of the caped-crusader franchise, which debuted in 1978 with 'Superman' and ended with 1983's 'Superman III'..."<br /><br />Actually, Reeve also reprised the role in 1987's "Superman IV." Yes, the film was a crime against humanity, but it existed. A simple search on imdb.com would have turned it up.

[Jonathan]

Nope never existed.

No this time I agree with news.com<br /><br />It never existed.<br /><br />What is this superman 4 you speak of? I know of no such movie.

Christopher Reeve, RIP

It is sad news to learn of the passing of a very generous human, a great man and our "hero", Christopher Reeve.<br /><br />My deepest sympathies to Dana Reeve, Will, Matthew and Alexandra. <br /><br />May the Reeve family be spared further sorrow.<br /><br />May the good work done by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center.<br /><br />Susan Dykhuis<br />Montreal, Qc, Canada

we are in agreement

Here here. Although I never got to meet the man, he touched me in a real and spiritual way, and I am sure I echo the thoughts of millions of people worldwide when I say he shall be missed. May the good Lord be with his family at this time of sorrow.<br />Rest in peace, Chris.

[Sam_Lowry]

Er - is this CNet or Entertainment Weekly?

Maybe I've missed something, but I thought the tag line was 'Tech News First' - not "we'll take any celebrity news/gossip we can to bump up our hit rate and somehow try to make it relevant to technology".<br /><br />I'm very sorry that Christoper Reeves passed away today, but what's it got to to with Cnet?

a thought

Pehraps we should let the guys who run this service decide what to print and what not to print.<br />True, his passing may not interest everybody but it merits more than a mention in the entertianment papers. Mr Reeve was a man dedicated to many worthy causes, and perhaps some of what he endorsed is related in some way to technology.<br />Just a thought.....

[Donoho]

Inspiration

Christopher Reeve as Superman was an inspiration to many fans of sci-fi and fantasy. Many of the same people make what once was considered sci-fi a reality. His mention on C|net is timely and appreciated.

[rhett121]

Duh!

Mr. Reeve was one of the biggest advocates of stem cell <br />research. That is a pretty high tech field last I checked, it's not <br />like they have a stem cell DIY kit at Walmart.<br /> Besides, this is Christopher Reeve we're talking about! You <br />couldn't ask for a nicer guy, even before the accident. Unlike <br />most actors who only think they are gods gift to the world, He <br />was and will always be a real Superman.<br /><br />p.s. Somewhere in time was always my favorite movie anyway.

Only fully developed humans deserve protection?

When does human life actually begin and when does human life <br />have intrinsic worth?<br /><br />When does one become fully human (be specific) and when does <br />one lose their humanness?<br /><br />When is it justifiable to kill human beings?<br /><br />How should society determine which human beings live or die <br />who have not committed a crime? (I do not support capital <br />punishment either.)<br /><br />Have you visited www.epm.org or have you read books on <br />medical ethics by Randy Alcorn?<br /><br />The ?lacks a functioning nervous system? is a bogus argument. A <br />human is a human regardless of age, gender, development, or <br />location. There was no period in your existence that you were <br />not human.<br /><br />Ultimately, people will think: <br />They feel no pain (anesthesia, nonfunctioning nervous system) ? <br />kill them. <br />They are in a coma (unconscious)? kill them. <br />They are young (unborn) ? kill them. <br />They are old (infirm) ? kill them. <br />They are a burden on society (poor)? kill them. <br />They interfere with my desires (fill in the blank) ? kill them. <br />I just don?t like them or want them (fill in the blank) ? kill them.

[simcity1976]

well

Life begins 6 weeks from fertlization, when the brain (that thing that tells you, that hurt) developes.

[sarcasticmama]

You Insensitive Jerks!

We are mourning the loss of a great man, actor, human being here! Take your argument somewhere else. What you started with your comments did not belong in this thread. Christopher Reeve made the most of LIFE and helped others with paralysis to do the same. Go agrue your personal opinions somewhere else. PERIOD.

[Zak70smith]

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