He was Superman, but ended up in a wheelchair: the tragic life story of Christopher Reeve, who remained a superman despite everything

Christopher Reeve, an American actor, public figure, and director, has often been called a superhero, not only for his role as Superman in the movie of the same name but also for his good deeds off-screen. The tragic story of his paralysis did not break him but rather hardened him.

Reeve has been dead for 20 years, but his good and selfless deeds live on in the memory of his fans. OBOZ.UA decided to recall how the actor with a complicated fate went down in history.

As we mentioned above, the actor gained worldwide fame when he took on the role of Superman in the 1978 American film of the same name and its three sequels. However, he had dozens of other movie projects behind him.

Perhaps there would be many more of them if Christopher Reeve had not had a tragic accident in 1995.

The actor fell from a horse during a horse race in Virginia, broke his neck vertebrae, and remained paralyzed for the rest of his life. Doctors were unable to put the star back on his feet but saved his life by performing a complex operation.

Due to his paralysis, the actor could not breathe or speak, so an electric stimulator was attached to his diaphragm, which caused the main respiratory muscle to contract. This allowed the star to be discharged from the hospital, although he remained confined to a wheelchair.

After six months of rehabilitation, Reeve returned to work for the Creative Coalition public foundation, took part in the 1997 Oscars and made his debut as a director of the television drama At Twilight.

In May 1998, Reeve's autobiography was published, in which the actor talked about himself, his life and fate, and the misfortune that befell him. He only dreamed of getting a chance to fully recover and get back on his feet, but 9 years after the accident he died of a heart attack.

The actor and his wife devoted the last years of their lives to a center for teaching paralyzed people to live independently. Christopher Reeve shared his experience and encouraged those who had also lost the ability to walk.

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