Activism

After the accident, Christopher Reeve faced a difficult time of recovery, full of struggle and sometimes doubt. This strength inspired millions of people, and he decided that he should put his fame to good use. His influence helped to lobby for the benefit of children and adults in the same situation as his. In 1996 he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and suddenly everyone knew who he was. His determination to find a cure for spinal cord injuries was evident as he traveled all around the country to make speeches.

To be more directly involved in the research process, he founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is part of the University of California at Irvine. Doing all he could in his position, many people said, "in the years following his injury, Christopher did more to promote research on spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders than any other person before or since" (UCIrvine).

He also acted in several television specials and feature films, using his powerful roles and vocal narrations to convince people that paralysis was a major problem that needed to be addressed quickly. For these roles he won several awards such as Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild awards.

In 1998, Reeve published his first book entitled, Still Me. The book was an autobiography dealing with his life before and after the accident. In it he explains how his life changed with the spinal cord injuries, and how he managed to deal with all of the problems. For eleven weeks, the book was on the New York Times Best Seller List.

In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened a center specializing in the needs of patients with spinal cord injuries. To credit their influence, it was named the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center. Reeve finally gained the much deserved attention of the federal government. The center was designed to teach people with spinal cord injuries to live independently.

Christopher Reeve caught the spot light when he began to lobby for embryonic stem cell research, a very controversial topic among most people. He wanted the federal government to provide more money for research but most lawmakers refused to fully pass the supporting laws. President Bush provided around $100 million for the research but placed strict limits on the scientists.