Please Post News and Commentary on Dana Reeve here

[Wise Young]

http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=4599455&nav=0zHF

Dana Reeve Dies After Battle With Lung Cancer

(White Plains, New York) - Robin Williams says, "The brightest light has gone out." He's reacting to the death of Dana Reeve. The woman who cared for her paralyzed husband, Christopher Reeve, for nearly ten years died Monday night of lung cancer.

On the Senate floor Tuesday, Democrat John Kerry said he'll "never forget the grace and the strength" Reeve showed shortly after the "Superman" actor died in October 2004. Kerry says lawmakers can honor the Reeves by promoting stem cell research.

An official at the Christopher Reeve Foundation says the Reeves' thirteen year old son is "in the loving care of family and friends." She says his mother arranged for Will's future.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1725961,00.html

Christopher Reeve's widow, Dana, dies aged 44

Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
Wednesday March 8, 2006
The Guardian

Dana Reeve, who spent nine years caring for her husband, Christopher Reeve, after he was paralysed in a riding accident, died on Monday in New York of lung cancer.

Reeve, 44, announced last summer that she had cancer, but just four months ago said that she was responding well to treatment. She was a non-smoker.

Reeve set aside her own acting and singing career following her husband's 1995 accident. After his death she chaired the foundation he had established to research cures for spinal-cord paralysis. Her role as a carer for the Superman actor accorded her a special place in US culture. Last year she won a mother of the year award from the American Cancer Society, which lauded her "strength and courage in the face of tremendous adversity".

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http://www.wfmz.com/cgi-bin/tt.cgi?action=viewstory&storyid=13700

Dana Reeve Dies
Story posted on 2006-03-07 13:09:00

--Family and friends say she dedicated her life to helping others. Today the nation mourns the passing of Dana Reeve, widow of "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve. Through her husband's struggles and her own battle with lung cancer friends say she never stopped trying to make a difference.

DANA REEVE WILL NO DOUBT BE REMEMBERED FOR HER DEVOTION TO HER HUSBAND, "SUPERMAN" ACTOR CHRISTOPHER REEVE AFTER A 1995 HORSEBACK RIDING ACCIDENT LEFT HIM PARALYZED. THE COUPLE CRUSADED PUBLICLY TO HELP FIND THERAPIES AND TREATMENTS FOR PARALYSIS.
--- WHEN CHRISTOPHER DIED IN OCTOBER 2004, DANA REEVE VOWED TO CARRY ON HER HUSBAND'S WORK, CHAIRING HIS FOUNDATION, WHICH FUNDS RESEARCH TO HELP PATIENTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES.
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SHE CAMPAIGNED TIRELESSLY FOR MORE STEM CELL RESEARCH. THEN, LAST AUGUST, REEVE SURPRISED EVERYONE WITH THE NEWS SHE HAD LUNG CANCER. DANA REEVE LEAVES BEHIND A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD SON, WILL.

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http://www.wtov9.com/news/7773043/detail.html

Cancer Claims Life Of Christopher Reeve's Widow
Dana Reeve Survived By Teenage Son, Two Stepchildren

POSTED: 8:23 am EST March 7, 2006
UPDATED: 5:37 pm EST March 7, 2006

SHORT HILLS, N.J. -- Dana Reeve, the wife of the late "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve, died Monday night at a New York hospital of lung cancer. She was 44 years old.

A close associate described her as "a woman with an incredible heart."

Kathy Lewis, president of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, said Dana Reeve "really put herself out there to help" people with disabilities and caretakers.

Lewis said she visited Reeve in the hospital Friday and she "was tired but with her typical sense of humor and smile."

Reeve had announced on Aug. 9 that she had lung cancer. Four months ago at a fundraiser for the foundation, Reeve said she could stay in good spirits because of the model set by her late husband.

<snip>

Mourners Speak Out

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, called Reeve a "model of tenacity and grace" who inspired them as an "extremely devoted wife, mother and advocate."

On the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry said he'll "never forget the grace and the strength" Reeve showed shortly after her husband died.

Lawmakers can honor the Reeves by promoting stem cell research, Kerry said.

Sen. Diane Feinstein said she hoped that after everything Reeve went through with her late husband Christopher Reeve "that she would have time to smell the flowers and be in the sun." The California Democrat said that it "was not meant to be."

"The brightest light has gone out," said comedian and actor Robin Williams, reacting to news of Dana Reeve's death.

Survivors include the Reeves' 13-year-old son, Will, and two grown stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra.

No funeral plans were announced. The family requested privacy and said donations could be made in Dana Reeve's memory to the Christopher Reeve Foundation in Short Hills, N.J.

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http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200603/030706a.html

U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

CONTACT: Office of Senator Leahy, 202-224-4242


VERMONT

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy,
The Passing Of Dana Reeve
March 7, 2006

Mr. President, today I join with all Vermonters and with millions of other Americans in mourning the loss of Dana Reeve. A devoted wife and mother, a talented singer and actress, a determined and dedicated activist, Dana Reeve was the embodiment of grace and courage in the face of so many staggering challenges.

A graduate of Vermont’s Middlebury College, Dana pursued both acting and singing, appearing on television programs, on Broadway, and on other stages across the country. When she married Christopher Reeve, a dear friend of so many of us across this land, she could not know what direction her life would take.

I first met Chris in the 1980s and had the good fortune of spending time with him in my home state of Vermont. Over the years, Marcelle and I came to count Chris among our friends. I am privileged to say that Dana became a dear friend of ours as well.

When tragedy struck Chris and Dana’s lives in 1995, just three short years after their marriage, Dana’s love and courage became the focal point of so many stories. Left a quadriplegic in a tragic equestrian accident, Chris repeatedly credited Dana’s constant care, companionship and love with bringing him out of shadowy sadness he felt in the first months after the accident. Together they opened the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, designed to teach paralyzed people to live more independently. The also chaired the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which provides funds for research on paralysis.

When Chris died in 2004, Dana -- her courage never wavering -- assumed the Foundation’s chairmanship, and she came to the halls of Congress to make the case for easing the restrictions on stem cell research. Her unrelenting efforts to improve the quality of life for sufferers of paralysis have led to the distribution of more than $8 million in grant funding to support programs designed to improve the daily lives of paralyzed people. Despite being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, Dana continued her advocacy efforts. In 2005, the American Cancer Society named her Mother of the Year.

Both Chris and Dana instilled in so many a hope and inspiration that can only come from conquering adversity. Their generous, vibrant and compassionate souls have touched an entire nation. Their young son, Will, will no doubt look to that strength as he continues through life. Two years ago I mourned the loss of my friend, Chris Reeve. Today, I join so many in mourning the loss of Dana, his inspiration, and ours as well.

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http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ri02_langevin/prreeve3706.htmlFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2006
Contact: Joy Fox
(401) 732-9400

Langevin remembers the life of Dana Reeve

(Warwick, R.I.) Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) joined the Reeve and Morosini families, the spinal cord injury community and many others worldwide in mourning the passing of Dana Reeve, the widow of late actor Christopher Reeve and Chairwoman of the Christopher Reeve Foundation. She died late Monday, following a battle with lung cancer.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend and role model, Dana Reeve,” said Langevin. “In her short life, she faced the most overwhelming challenges and handled them with inspiring strength and grace.”

Following her husband’s accident, Mrs. Reeve helped establish the Christopher Reeve Foundation and became a champion for other families, using her own experience to improve the quality of life for all people with paralysis.

“Through her own courage and commitment, she showed us all how to take care of those we love,” continued Langevin. “I was so grateful when she took up the mantle after Chris's death to continue the work that he started. It is up to all of us now to move forward and continue their legacy. Dana will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends and all those who mourn her.”

Langevin worked closely with Christopher and Dana Reeve in recent years on a range of issues that affect people living with paralysis and their loved ones. He was involved in establishing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center (PRC), a federally funded program, which promotes the health and well-being of people living with paralysis and their families by providing comprehensive information resources and referral services.

In 2001, Langevin joined the Reeves in promoting the expansion of embryonic stem cell research, which offers the promise of cures for spinal cord injuries and many other disabilities and chronic conditions. In February 2005, Mrs. Reeve joined Langevin as his guest at the State of the Union in Washington, DC. Most recently, they appeared together at a “Cure Paralysis Now” rally held in Washington on April 12, 2005 urging passage of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act, which would coordinate and expand research, rehabilitation, and quality of life programs for people with spinal cord injuries.

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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usreev0308,0,3416214.story?coll=ny-football-headlines&amp;track=mostemailedlink

Dana Reeve dies of cancer at 44
[quote]
BY MICHAEL MUSKAL
LOS ANGELES TIMES

March 7, 2006, 4:08 PM EST

Dana Reeve, an actress whose days of sunny fame with her star husband Christopher turned into an odyssey of tragedy and hope, has died of lung cancer at the age of 44.

Reeve gave up her entertainment career to care for her husband during his 10 years of almost complete paralysis, when she and Christopher became fighting symbols for those who refused to give up, even against the most desperate odds. She used her celebrity to campaign for stem cell and other medical research to treat spinal cord injuries like the one that paralyzed her husband, best known for his starring turn in the movies as Superman.
She died Monday night at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in New York City, the Christopher Reeve Foundation announced.


"Dana will always be remembered for her passion, strength and ceaseless courage that became her hallmark," according to Kathy Lewis, foundation president, in a statement posted on its website. "Along with her husband Christopher, she faced adversity with grace and determination, bringing hope to millions around the world."

The death also drew memorials from the political world.

"Dana Reeve used the great personal challenge of her husband's paralysis to work so that other families would not have to endure the same pain," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D- San Francisco) in a statement released this morning. "By bringing hope to the sick and disabled with the miraculous potential of stem cell research, she has helped to continue the mending and renewing of the world that is possible through science."

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http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=61928

Pelosi Statement on the Death of Dana Reeve

3/7/2006 10:55:00 AM

To: National Desk

Contact: Brendan Daly or Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616, both of the Office of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Web: http://democraticleader.house.gov

WASHINGTON, March 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement this morning on the death of Dana Reeve:

"Today I offer my heartfelt condolences to Dana Reeve's family and friends. Her death, coming so soon after the death of her husband Christopher, is a source of deep sadness for so many -- both to those of us who knew her, and those who admired her work and her values.

"Dana Reeve used the great personal challenge of her husband's paralysis to work so that other families would not have to endure the same pain. By bringing hope to the sick and disabled with the miraculous potential of stem cell research, she has helped to continue the mending and renewing of the world that is possible through science.

"I hope it is a comfort to the Reeve family that so many people share their loss and are praying for them at this sad time."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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http://us.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/03/07/reeve.obit/index.html


Dana Reeve dies of lung cancer at 44
Widow carried on activism after Christopher Reeve's death

Tuesday, March 7, 2006; Posted: 10:31 p.m. EST (03:31 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Dana Reeve, the widow of the actor Christopher Reeve, has died of lung cancer at age 44, according to the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

In August, less than a year after her husband's death, Dana Reeve -- a lifelong nonsmoker -- announced she had cancer. She died Monday night.

"We are all just so sad," foundation President Kathy Lewis said.

Lewis said that she had visited Reeve on Friday and that she was "strong and gracious and courageous." (Watch how Dana Reeve's work inspired admiration -- 1:52)

Reeve had succeeded her husband as the chairwoman of the foundation, which funds research for new treatments for spinal cord injuries and works to improve the quality of life for people suffering from paralysis.

Christopher Reeve died in October 2004 at age 52 after falling into a coma. He had been paralyzed since a horseback riding accident in 1995.

Reeve was widely admired for the support and love she showed for her husband and for her assistance in his care.

She also was a singer and an actress, appearing on stage and on television in episodes of several dramatic series, including "Oz" and "Law and Order."

In January, she sang at the NHL retirement ceremony for Mark Messier's New York Rangers jersey at Madison Square Garden.

"She sang beautifully. She looked lovely," said Kathie Lee Gifford, who interviewed Reeve at the event. "She was wearing a wig, of course. She had been through chemo and radiation. She was very thin, which you would expect for somebody going through what she was going through."

Gifford said she was surprised by the news because Reeve had seemed so healthy that night. (Watch how nonsmoking women face a lung cancer risk -- 3:34)

"I was absolutely stunned because she told me that day that the tumor was shrinking and she was the picture of optimism that night," Gifford said.

Kate Michelman, a member of the foundation's board, remembered Reeve as "a great spirit."

"The country suffers because Dana, on a personal level, was one of the most remarkable people I've ever known," Michelman said.

She said Reeve's health had seemed to improve, giving friends and loved ones hope that she might recover from the cancer. (Interactive: lung cancer explained)

"She was improving. You know, her own spirit and her own determination to overcome this plague made us feel she could do it," Michelman said.

"She just recently learned that she was failing and right up [till] the end, I have to tell you, Dana was convinced she was going to overcome this."

Michelman said Reeve's death is "a dreadful loss" but that the foundation will "move forward with Christopher and Dana's vision."

Dana and Christopher Reeve married in 1992 after a five-year relationship.

The actor was famous for his role as Superman in a trilogy of movies in the late 1970s and 1980s. He continued to act and direct films after his accident.

Legacy of hope'

Christopher Reeve became a crusader to help find therapies and treatments for paralysis and was an outspoken supporter of stem-cell research. Dana Reeve was credited with carrying on his work through the foundation.

"After Christopher's death, Dana was determined to preserve the important work and the legacy of hope that became his life's mission," Lewis said in a statement. "Even in our grief, the foundation must pick up and continue to go forward with this mission.

"At the same time, we commit ourselves to ensuring that the light of grace, courage and hopefulness that Dana embodied continues to shine bright -- bringing comfort and hope to people living with paralysis and their families and caregivers."

Less than two weeks after her husband's death, she made a public appearance to support the presidential campaign of Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry. (Watch how Dana Reeve became a political activist -- 1:57)

"I've been grieving privately the past week and a half," she said at a rally in Ohio. "My inclination would be, frankly, to remain private for a good long while."

But she added, "I'm here today because John Kerry, like Christopher Reeve, believes in keeping our hope alive."

Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, said Reeve helped generate support for a bill that would expand funding for embryonic stem cell research. It was passed by the House last year, defying President Bush's veto threat.

"If it had not been for her, we would not have had the number of signatures on the stem cell bill that we had," Harkin said. "I'm absolutely convinced of that."

Reeve's experience had a special resonance for Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican who has recently battled cancer.

"President Nixon declared war on cancer in 1970. Had we devoted the resources to that war which we devoted to other wars, perhaps Dana Reeve's life could have been saved," he said.

Reeve's efforts have had setbacks, with the Senate yet to act on the stem cell bill.

And last month, Lewis said in a statement she was "deeply disappointed" that Bush's proposed budget eliminated funding for the foundation's Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center and other nonprofit groups.

Harkin, a personal friend, said he told Reeve's caregivers on Friday to pass along a promise.

"Just whisper one thing in her ear for me. Tell her that we are going to put that money back. I guarantee it," he said.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/07/AR2006030700407.html

Dana Reeve; Widow Advocated for Paralysis Research

By Adam Bernstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 8, 2006; Page B07

Dana Reeve, 44, a singer and actress who married "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve and raised millions for medical research after her husband was almost completely paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, died March 6 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

<snip>

After Christopher Reeve died in October 2004 at age 52, his widow assumed the chairmanship of the foundation, whose $6 million budget comes from a federal grant funneled through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She was credited with conceiving the foundation's Quality of Life Grants, which since 1999 have given $8 million to organizations that aid those primarily suffering from paralysis. She was a founder of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center and made countless appearances with politicians and other celebrities to advocate her medical research concerns.

She also compiled the book "Care Packages: Letters to Christopher Reeve From Strangers and Other Friends" (1999).

During that period, Mrs. Reeve slowly began to revive her acting career, appearing on Broadway and regional stages as well as on TV shows and in commercials.

She said she disliked sentimental media depictions of her husband's fight to relearn even the most limited motor functions and of her efforts to help him.

She especially loathed being called a "saint," telling Good Housekeeping magazine: "It bothers me to be thought of that way. Of course I'm doing this. What other option is there? What happened was a truly terrifying, life-altering thing, and my initial response was just like being hit by a bucket of water."

The daughter of a cardiologist, Dana Morosini was born March 17, 1961, in Teaneck, N.J., and raised in Scarsdale, N.Y. She was a 1984 cum laude English graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and spent her junior year at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

She met Reeve in summer 1987 at the Williamstown (Mass.) Theatre Festival, when she was singing in a cabaret act. He found her immensely alluring, he wrote in a memoir, adding, "She wore an off-the-shoulder dress and sang 'The Music That Makes Me Dance.' "

She was skeptical of his advances at first, not wishing to fall easily into the arms of a muscular Hollywood actor best known for his title role in the "Superman" movies. She was alarmed when after 10 days of largely flirting, he invited her to join him in a midnight swim at a pond.

She told People magazine: "I thought, 'Oh God, here comes the old let's-get-naked-and-go-for-a-swim routine.' " Then he immediately offered to help her retrieve her swimsuit, and she was so relieved that later that night she gave him their first kiss.

They were married in 1992 after living together for five years, a time when she acted in commercials. She played a detective in the movie thriller "Above Suspicion" (1995), which starred her husband, and had minor roles on such television shows as "Law & Order" and "Oz." In 2000, she co-hosted a daily talk show on the Lifetime Television network, "Lifetime Live," with Deborah Roberts.

She also played a Long Island housewife married to a comedian (Rob Bartlett) in the short-lived Broadway play "More to Love" (1998). In 2004, she withdrew from the cast of Donald Margulies's Broadway-bound drama "Brooklyn Boy" to be with her husband before he died.

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http://reid.senate.gov/record2.cfm?id=252264

REID STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF DANA REEVE

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Washington, DC — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement today on the passing of Dana Reeve.

“Today, we mourn the passing of Dana Reeve—a devoted wife, a loving mother, a tireless advocate on behalf of individuals with spinal paralysis, and a talented singer and actress. I met Dana during one of her frequent visits to Washington, DC to advocate on behalf of the Christopher Reeve Foundation. She was an articulate and passionate voice for a wide range of issues that affect individuals with paralysis, from quality of life issues to stem cell research. Dana will be remembered not only for her activism, but for her devotion to her family and her uncommon strength and grace in the face of adversity.”

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http://www.turnto10.com/news/7780197/detail.html

Southern New Englanders Mourn Dana Reeve
Widow Of Christopher Reeve Succumbs To Lung Cancer

POSTED: 12:51 pm EST March 7, 2006
UPDATED: 6:31 pm EST March 7, 2006

Southern New Englanders reacted Tuesday to the death of Dana Reeve.

Reeve, the widow of actor Christopher Reeve, died of lung cancer Monday night. She was 44. (Read related story.)

Dana Reeve was well known and respected for always being by her husband's side after a horse-riding accident paralyzed him in 1995. He died in 2004.

She was an inspiration to many people, including one Rhode Island lawmaker who called her a "dear friend" and a "role model."

U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin befriended the Reeve family as they dealt with Christopher Reeve's spinal cord injury. Langevin was paralyzed at age 16 when he was accidentally shot.

Langevin worked closely with the Reeves to create a program to help people living with paralysis.

"This was typical of Dana -- to see beyond her own circumstances and find a way to ease the suffering and confusion of others," Langevin said on the House floor Tuesday.

Langevin and the Reeves promoted the expansion of embryonic stem cell research, which supporters say holds the promise of a cure for spinal cord injuries.

"It is up to all of us to continue their legacy. As Chris and Dana would say, 'Let's go forward,'" Langevin said.
http://images.ibsys.com/2006/0307/7782158_400X300.jpg
Jim Langevin Image
Dana Reeve and U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin prior to the State of the Union in Washington. (February 2005)

Dana Reeve appeared with Langevin in April 2005 at a Cure Paralysis Now rally in Washington to urge passage of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act. Reeve was also Langevin's guest at the 2005 State of the Union address.

Brian Cunha, a local attorney, befriended the Reeves years ago. He praised them for their commitment and their ability to move forward despite Christopher Reeve's injuries.

He credits Dana with taking over where Chris left off.

"She had that unconquerable spirit. She was a devoted, loving woman. It's going to be a loss," Cunha said.

more...

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http://people.aol.com/people/articles/0,19736,1170754,00.html

Friends Remember Dana Reeve
Tuesday Mar 07, 2006 3:00pm EST
Tuesday Mar 07, 2006 5:30pm EST (updated)
Dana Reeve
CREDIT: JOAN JEDELL / POLARIS

Friends and admirers remembered actress and activist Dana Reeve, who succumbed to lung cancer on Monday. Here are their comments:

"The brightest light has gone out. We will forever celebrate her loving spirit."
– Robin Williams

"Despite the adversity that she faced, Dana bravely met these challenges and was always an extremely devoted wife, mother and advocate."
– Former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton

"Teresa and I loved them both, and we are deeply saddened by Dana's passing. She was a steadfast partner to her husband, a loving mother, a talented artist, and an amazing caregiver who showed incredible grace fighting for her husband and then for her own life."
– Sen. John Kerry

"She showed us all the true power of love. (She was) an unflinching optimist, who never let anything get her down, and if she did she never showed us."
– close friend Jane Seymour

Christopher Reeve,Dana Reeve
CREDIT: MATTHEW PEYTON / GETTY IMAGES FOR PEOPLE MAGAZINE

"She was a woman with an incredible heart who really put herself out there to help people with disabilities and especially those who are caregivers – something she knew a lot about."
– Kathy Lewis, president of the Christopher Reeve Foundation

"(Dana was) a beautiful and talented woman … We celebrate her life."
–Roger Rees, Director of the Williamstown Theater Festival where both Dana and Christopher performed

"I thought that after everything that she had gone through with Chris that she would have time to smell the flowers and be in the sun. But apparently that was not meant to be."
– Sen. Diane Feinstein

"Dana was an elegant and graceful woman, and she left this world the same way. She was at peace."
– Michael Manganello, Christopher Reeve's former assistant and vice president of the Christopher Reeve Foundation

"Dana Reeve used the great personal challenge of her husband's paralysis to work so that other families would not have to endure the same pain. By bringing hope to the sick and disabled with the miraculous potential of stem cell research, she has helped to continue the mending and renewing of the world that is possible through science."
– House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

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http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=129502

Tears for Dana: Paralyzed actors wife leaves Super legacy
By Jessica Fargen
Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Dana Reeve was remembered yesterday as a superwoman who left her mark in Boston through thousands of dollars in grants, and in the lives of paralyzed people and their families who met her, if only for an instant.
Reeve and her late husband, “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve, were beacons of hope to the paralyzed community, said Chuck Southard of Topsfield, who met Dana Reeve in April at a rally in Washington D.C.
“What a gracious, warm, caring and unpretentious woman. When you would see her speaking in support of Christopher, that is the woman you saw. You got what you saw,” said Southard, whose son, Chaz, 26, was paralyzed from the neck down in 2002.


Dana Reeve, 44, died Monday, just seven months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Reeve, a non-smoker, was among one in five female lung cancer patients who develop the disease without ever smoking, experts said.
She spent nine years caring for her paralyzed husband before he died in October 2004. Through the Christopher Reeve Foundation, they pushed for stem cell research, gave millions of dollars in grants and backed the proposed Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act, which would expand paralysis research and rehabilitation.
“I don’t think you would have half the public outcry concerning stem cell research if they weren’t quite as visible as they were,” said Brenda Taylor, an administrator at the Travis Roy Foundation in Boston, which received a $25,000 grant from the Reeve Foundation. “She was very influential in the foundation. She’s an enormous loss for them.”
The Reeve Foundation has given $7.4 million nationwide in “quality of life” grants - a program started by Dana Reeve - including $10,000 to Boston College for technology to help quadriplegics use a computer; $2,500 for playground equipment in Braintree; and $25,000 for disabled youth in Boston.

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http://www.eitb24.com/portal/eitb24/noticia/en/entertainment/dana-reeve-christopher-and-dana-brought-hope-to-thousands-of-peop?itemId=D17620&cl=%2Feitb24%2Fcultura&idioma=en

Christopher and Dana brought hope to thousands of people

03/08/2006
Dana Reeve died Monday night at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in Manhattan. She leaves a son, Will, which she had with Christopher Reeves.

Dana Reeve, the singer-actress who married the strapping star of the "Superman" movies and then devoted herself to his care and his cause after he was paralyzed, has died of lung cancer, a year and a half after her husband. She was 44.

Although Reeve had announced her cancer diagnosis in August - to an outpouring of sympathy and support from admirers around the world - her death seemed sudden. As recently as January 12, she looked healthy and happy as she belted out Carole King's "Now and Forever" at a packed Madison Square Garden during a ceremony honouring hockey star Mark Messier, a friend.

Reeve died Monday night at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in Manhattan. She leaves a son, Will, which she had with Christopher Reeves. Former President Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton described Reeve as "a model of tenacity and grace."

Dr. John McDonald was the lead neurosurgeon on the team of physicians that treated the spinal cord injury suffered by Christopher Reeve and got to know the indefatigable Dana well. He said the legacy of the couple will be that they brought hope to thousands of people and that will continue.

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http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/
Dying Young
Ned Potter

It's an awful thing to say, but the power of Dana Reeve's death this morning had less to do with illness than irony. Her husband, the superhero felled by a spinal-cord injury...then she, the woman who had been strong for him, taken by lung cancer, even though, we are told by people who knew her, she had been a nonsmoker.

Still, there's a chance to learn from this. Our medical unit has been e-mailing oncologists this morning, and the responses are instructive. This from Dr. Jonathan M. Kurie at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas:

"There is an unstated feeling that lung cancer is considered to be a self-inflicted disease. This point is made less accurate given that former smokers (people who have quit) now account for more than 50% of lung cancers. Also, never smokers account for at least 10% of lung cancers.

"This is an ongoing problem in the field. We will not make progress until this bias is overcome."

Another one, from Dr. Gregory P. Kalemkerian at the University of Michigan Medical Center:

"Every year over 170,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer and over 160,000 die of the disease. This tells you that there are few survivors. Less than 15% of patients with lung cancer live for more than five years after their diagnosis. Contrast this to the situations for breast and prostate cancer with about 200,000 new diagnoses and 40,000 deaths per year - a lot more survivors. The paucity of lung cancer survivors and the rapidity with which most people die of the diseas means that there are few people around to advocate for lung cancer victims and to rally support for better funding and research.

"It has not been easy to get physicians to take up lung cancer as an academic research career. It is a depressing and discouraging field. Over the past few years, some of the promising new treatments have brought renewed interest and new researchers into the lung cancer research realm, but the sheer numbers of people working in breast or prostate cancer still far outweighs the small number of people who are actually dedicated to caring for patients with lung cancer and doing lung cancer research."

Finally, some numbers from the American Cancer Society:

"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer is fairly rare in people under the age of 40. The average age of people found to have lung cancer is 70.

"In 2006 there will be about 174,470 new cases of lung cancer in the United States: 92,700 among men and 81,770 among women. About 162,460 people will die of this disease: 90,330 men and 72,130 women.

"About 6 out of 10 people with lung cancer die within 1 year of finding out they have lung cancer. Between 7 and 8 will die within 2 years."

Sobering stuff.

[bigbob]

........."Even in the darkest moment of her life, her thoughts were for others," said Wise Young, a friend and spinal-cord researcher at Rutgers University..............The couple became powerful advocates for spinal-cord and stem-cell research, much of their work conducted through their New Jersey foundation.
"Both spoke from the heart. They weren't playing politics," said Young, one of Christopher Reeve's doctors and founding director of the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers.
Even after her husband's death, Mrs. Reeve worked to urge Congress to pass the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act, which would establish clinical trials for paralysis and its complications and fund research on patients' quality of life.
"It was Dana's fondest wish to get this passed," Young said. "I'm heartbroken that Dana did not see this happen." http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/14042915.htm?source=rss&channel=inquirer_nation

[Faye]

Deepak Chopra: Are we doing everything in order to find the causes of things like this and cure them? And, I think -- I wish our president and our government would support stem cell research which is something that both Chris and Dana cared about. They were very strong advocates of that research.


Marianne Williamson: I think that Senator Kerry and really most people on the program already have spoken of the meaning of this moment and in the midst of the sadness that we feel there's holiness right here..... You know the beauty of Dana and Chris was that they lived lives in service to those who live and that's why Deepak's bringing up, along with others, about our working for stem cell research,...

Deborah Roberts: If she felt that you came down on the wrong side, she had no tolerance for that. Stem-cell research, as you've heard, was a major, major passion of hers. And she had no tolerance for anyone who was not informed, who didn't really know the issues.


Marianne Williamson: Hope is based on the fact that this country can wake up, that people can say, "What am I doing? This is midterm elections. Are my representatives or my senatorial candidates standing for stem-cell research and other kinds of funding for cancer research?

Maya Angelou: we can change things again. The only thing is we must take some spirit from both Dana and Chris and agree to develop courage. It's the most important of all the virtues, because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.

So we have got to take from the men and women who have gone before us, in particular, in this case, Dana and Christopher Reeve, and really press ourselves and press our representatives to make the country more aware, one, of our responsibility to each other, and how much we can do to save ourselves.

But we have to have courage to do so, because somebody will roar or turn around and say, "What are you, a jerk? What are you, a do- gooder? What are you, a right-winger or a left-winger or something?" And there somebody will lose their courage, and they lose the name of action.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/07/lkl.01.html

PS: I'm for BOTH:

1. CRPA
AND
2. Stem Cell Research

[Wise Young]

Governor Corzine’s statement on the tragic passing of Dana Reeve, received via email.


Office Of The Governor

GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT ON THE
PASSING OF DANA REEVE: MARCH 7, 2006

Today, our nation lost a shining example of courage, commitment and grace -- Dana Reeve. And this loss will be felt throughout New Jersey, which was like a second home to the Reeves.

Dana Reeve showed us, not just with words but with her selfless dedication as she cared for her husband, what it means to love and honor the spirit of another human being.

New Jersey's hearts and prayers go out to the family and especially to her son Will and to her two stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra.

In the decade following the accident that left Christopher paralyzed, Dana worked as a partner with him, a tireless voice for spinal cord injury research and for improving the quality of life for paralyzed Americans. And after his death in 2004, she carried on with that work, bringing hope to hundreds of thousands.

Through their efforts, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation in Short Hills has become the world's premier spinal cord injury research organization, distributing more than $55 million in grants for neuroscience research.

Dana's presence will continue to be deeply felt, not just at the helm of the Reeve Foundation, but through her many connections to our community -- especially on the board of the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and throughout the arts in our area.

Now, as we take this month to celebrate the myriad contributions of women to our shared history, we must honor Dana's memory by steeling our resolve to fulfill the promise of embryonic stem cell research. It is my strong belief that we must support promising medical research like this -- research that has the potential to lead to more effective treatments for conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injuries, and cancer. Advances in stem cell research hold the potential of enabling scientists to create stem cells that one day may be developed into healthy replacement tissues for more than 100 million individuals suffering from chronic or degenerative conditions.

It was my honor to have worked with Dana a number of times while I was in the Senate. We, the people of New Jersey, are grateful for Dana's legacy of hope, and we are humbled by how she carried herself through this life. Our state and our world are better for her time with us.

[john smith]

Bob;

This is not the time or place for you to comment on how others choose to pay tribute to Dana. Start your own thread.

John

[bigbob]

John, I didn't break any posting rules. You on the otherhand were censoring posts.

If you don't like that I pointed out that almost every commentary brought up the fact that the Reeves were strong supporters of ESC and Dr. Young didn't, but chose to associate them with only the CR act and clinical trial networks, its too bad. No need to censor that.

[dogger]

BigB , there is no doubt about you ! You are upset because someone didn't mention ESC in their eulogy to Dana Reeve ? Or are you upset because you and Faye cannot find a sentence about ESCs in Wise's speech to put in bold characters and C&P back into the thread . How about a tirade against those who didn't come out plainly and say what a great job she did as an AB supporting and advocating for a DA family member ? So soon after Dana's death , I find your obsession with picking out every ESC reference and C&Ping them in bold to be offencive . Out of respect , could you please let people remember Dana in their own way . Once again you are pulling a topic right off topic , which in this particular case saddens me a lot .