Christopher D'Olier Reeve

 Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004)

He achieved stardom for his acting achievements, in particular his motion picture portrayal of comic book superhero Superman. After graduating from high school, Reeve studied at Cornell University, while at the same time working as a professional actor. In his final year there, he was one of two students selected (Robin Williams was the other) to study at New York's famous Julliard School of Performing Arts, under the renowned John Houseman. Although Christopher is most well known for his role as Superman (1978), he starred in many other movies, such as "Deathtrap," "Somewhere in Time," "Village of the Damned," and "The Remains of the Day." He also made his Broadway debut in "A Matter of Gravity," which also starred Katharine Hepburn. In May of 1995, he was competing in an equestrian competition in Culpepper, Virginia, when he was thrown from his horse. He fractured the top two vertebrae in his neck and damaged his spinal cord. After undergoing many months of therapy, he was able to breathe without a respirator, and move his index finger, as well as regaining sensation in other parts of his body. He became a major advocate for stem cell research. He also authored two books, "Still Me" and "Anything is Possible." He returned to acting as well, appearing in the television movie production "Rear Window," for which he won a Screen Actor's Guild Award. In early October 2004, he was being treated for an infected pressure ulcer that was causing sepsis, a complication that he had experienced many times before. On October 5, he spoke at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on behalf of the Institute's work. This was to be his last reported public appearance.

On October 9, Reeve felt well and attended his son Will's hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. He fell into a coma and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died of cardiac arrest at age 52. His doctor, John McDonald, believed that it was an adverse reaction to the antibiotic that caused his death. His wife, Dana Reeve, headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, and died the following year at age 44.