Editing Christopher Reeve (section)

==Personal life==

===Relationships===
Reeve's first romantic relationship was at the age of 16 with a theater actress who was seven years his senior. Eventually, he began to feel that "something about it didn't feel right", and they split up.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 153</ref>

While filming the first two ''Superman'' movies in England, Reeve began a 10-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton.<ref name="Ability"/> In 2018, [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]] revealed that Reeve and Exton had broken up prior to filming ''[[Somewhere in Time (film)|Somewhere in Time]]'', and during production, Reeve and Seymour fell in love.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 5, 2018 |title=All About...Jane Seymour |url=https://businesspeople.com/Post/2931/all-about-jane-seymour |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113114625/https://businesspeople.com/Post/2931/all-about-jane-seymour |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=Business People}}</ref> However, Reeve returned to Exton upon learning that she was pregnant with their son [[Matthew Reeve|Matthew Exton Reeve]], who was born on December 20, 1979. Their second child, daughter Alexandra, was born on November 25, 1983. Both were born in London.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 219</ref> In February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated amicably with joint custody of their children, and Reeve returned to New York. Matthew and Alexandra remained in London with their mother and spent their holidays with Reeve. Matthew, who graduated from [[Brown University]] in 2002, is a writer, director, and producer. Alexandra graduated from [[Yale University]] in 2005 and received a [[Juris Doctor]] from [[Columbia Law School]] in 2008. She is a lawyer and CEO of the [[Center for Democracy and Technology]]. Alexandra's son is named Christopher after her father.<ref>{{cite web |last=Aizin |first=Rebecca |date=November 25, 2024 |title=Christopher Reeve's 3 Children: All About Matthew, Alexandra and Will |url=https://people.com/all-about-christopher-reeve-children-8548207 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226085013/https://people.com/all-about-christopher-reeve-children-8548207 |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=People}}</ref>

In June 1987, Reeve met his future wife [[Dana Reeve|Dana Morosini]],<!--She took the surname Reeve after her marriage, thus, per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Biography#People_with_the_same_surname , is referred to by name as "Dana" to distinguish her from "Christopher".--> a singer and actress. By 1990, they were living together but Reeve, remembering his parents' painful divorce and other failed marriages in his family, could not bring himself to commit. After they almost broke up, Reeve began about a year of therapy, primarily to talk through his fears about marriage. Then one night during dinner, he said, "I just put down my fork and asked her to marry me." They were married in April 1992,<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998). pp. 90–94</ref> and their son {{visible anchor|Will Reeve|text=William Elliot "Will" Reeve}} was born on June 7, 1992. Will graduated from [[Middlebury College]] in 2014 and, {{asof|2025|lc=y}}, he reports for [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dgepress.com/abcnews/bios/will-reeve/|title=Will Reeve|website=ABC News|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112174900/https://www.dgepress.com/abcnews/bios/will-reeve/|archive-date=November 12, 2024|access-date=November 10, 2024}}</ref> Christopher and Dana Reeve remained married until Christopher's death.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 17, 2006|title=Reeves Remained in Love Despite Tragedy|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Entertainment/story?id=1699290&page=1|access-date=January 5, 2021|publisher=ABC News}}</ref>

===Aviation and sailing===
Reeve was a licensed pilot and began reaching major milestones in his early 20s: [[Private pilot licence|private]], [[instrument rating|instrument]], [[Class rating|multi-engine]], [[Commercial pilot licence|commercial]], [[Flight instructor|instructor]], and [[glider pilot license|glider]].<ref>{{cite news |date=March 23, 1985 |last=Hill |first=Michael E. |title=CHRISTOPHER REEVE |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1985/03/24/christopher-reeve/3713d439-0feb-4abd-bcb9-6806c1b27f93/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241129141245/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1985/03/24/christopher-reeve/3713d439-0feb-4abd-bcb9-6806c1b27f93/ |archive-date=November 29, 2024 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="BBC Radio"/> In 1976, Reeve purchased his first aircraft, a second-hand [[Piper PA-28 Cherokee|Cherokee 140]]. After his paralyzing accident, he fondly recalled sleeping under its wings during a solo trip across Canada.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shewey |first=Don |date=November 19, 1986 |title=Caught in the Act: New York Actors Face to Face |url=https://donshewey.com/theater_articles/christopher_reeve.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124113156/https://donshewey.com/theater_articles/christopher_reeve.html |archive-date=January 24, 2025 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=Don Shewey Blog}}</ref><ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998). p. 130</ref> Over the years, he owned an [[Beechcraft Bonanza#Model 36 Bonanza|A36 Bonanza]], a [[Beechcraft Baron]], a [[Piper PA-31T Cheyenne|Cheyenne II]], and a [[Glider (sailplane)|sailplane]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998). p. 236</ref> He flew solo [[Transatlantic flight|across the Atlantic]] twice and was a pilot for the Environmental Air Force.<ref name="Reeve9">Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 9</ref>

When [[Robin Williams]] was filming ''[[The World According to Garp (film)|The World According to Garp]]'', [[Glenn Close]] recalled that Reeve would "literally swoop in, piloting his own plane, scoop Robin up, and away they would fly for the weekend."<ref>{{cite web |last=Heller |first=Corinne |date=November 18, 2017 |title=Tearful Glenn Close Says Christopher Reeve Could Have Saved Robin Williams |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/894706/tearful-glenn-close-says-christopher-reeve-could-have-saved-robin-williams |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203053848/https://www.eonline.com/news/894706/tearful-glenn-close-says-christopher-reeve-could-have-saved-robin-williams |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=E! News}}</ref> During the shooting of ''Superman III'', Reeve joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who pilot vintage [[de Havilland Tiger Moth]] biplanes. Reeve knew how to fly a [[Stearman Aircraft|Stearman]] and did his own piloting in the film ''[[The Aviator (1985 film)|The Aviator]]''.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998). pp. 216–217</ref> He also enjoyed [[gliding]]; his personal record was 32,000 ft.<ref name="Reeve9"/>

Reeve was an avid sailor. While filming ''[[The Bostonians (film)|The Bostonians]]'', he lived aboard his [[Swan 40]], ''Chandelle'', and would take the cast and crew sailing on the weekends.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998). p. 216</ref> In 1989, he sold ''Chandelle'' and bought a [[Sloop|sloop sailboat]], Cambria 46, which he named the ''Sea Angel''. According to David Walters Yachts, "when Chris Reeve came to build a Cambria, he did not want a double entry 44. A new deck mold with a single entry was built, and was designated the new 46 model."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998). p. 90</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Walters |first=David |title=The History of Cambria Sailing Yachts |url=https://www.davidwaltersyachts.com/blog/the-history-of-cambria-sailing-yachts/434 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205103848/https://www.davidwaltersyachts.com/blog/the-history-of-cambria-sailing-yachts/434 |archive-date=December 5, 2024 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=David Walters Yachts}}</ref>

He sailed in the [[Caribbean]] and to [[Bermuda]] a few times. The coast of [[New England]] is what he knew best, sailing "all over the East, Nova Scotia, and Maine." His favorite ports were [[Nantucket]], [[Yarmouth, Nova Scotia|Yarmouth]], and Christmas Cove in Maine.<ref name="Sea Wolf"/><ref>{{cite news |date=August 20, 1983 |title=In Port With Christopher Reeve |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/1983/08/21/in-port-with-christopher-reeve/40e8b745-f8a5-4bfe-b203-76a14289fdc2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241129173944/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/1983/08/21/in-port-with-christopher-reeve/40e8b745-f8a5-4bfe-b203-76a14289fdc2/ |archive-date=November 29, 2024 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

===Equestrianism and injury===
Reeve began his involvement in [[Equestrianism|horse riding]] in 1985 after learning to ride for the film ''[[Anna Karenina (1985 film)|Anna Karenina]]''. He was initially [[Allergy|allergic]] to horses, so he took [[antihistamine]]s. He trained on [[Martha's Vineyard]], and by 1989, he began [[eventing]]. His allergies soon disappeared.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 6–8</ref>

Reeve purchased a 12-year-old American [[thoroughbred]] horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed "Buck", while filming ''[[Village of the Damned (1995 film)|Village of the Damned]]''. He trained with Buck in 1994 and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in [[Vermont]], his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in [[Culpeper, Virginia]]. Reeve finished in fourth place out of 27 in the [[dressage]], before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps 16 and 17 but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine {{convert|1|m|ft|spell=in|adj=mid|-tall}} fence shaped like the letter "W".<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 14–18</ref>

On May 27, 1995, Reeve's horse made a [[Refusals and runouts|refusal]]. Witnesses said the horse began the third fence jump and suddenly stopped. Reeve fell forward off the horse, holding on to the [[rein]]s. His hands became tangled in them, and the [[bridle]] and [[Horse tack#Bits|bit]] were pulled off the horse.{{refn|group=note|Afterward, Buck was boarding at Gathering Farm in [[Hamilton, Massachusetts]]. Reeve regularly called the stables to check on him and was sent videos of his training sessions. Later, Buck was sold to new owners. Reeve said, "He's a beautiful, sweet-natured animal. None of what happened was his fault.&nbsp;... I'm hoping he'll have a long and happy life with his new owners. He's a wonderful horse."<ref>{{cite book|title=Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve|author=Andersen, Christopher |date=July 8, 2008 |publisher=Hyperion Books |pages=146 |isbn=978-1-4013-2302-8}}</ref>}} He landed head first on the far side of the fence, shattering his [[Atlas (anatomy)|first]] and [[Axis (anatomy)|second vertebrae]]. The resulting [[Spinal cord injury#Cervical spine|cervical spinal injury]] paralyzed him from the neck down and halted his breathing. Paramedics arrived three minutes later and immediately took measures to get air into his lungs. He was taken first to the local hospital, before being flown by helicopter to the [[University of Virginia Health System|University of Virginia Medical Center]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Romano |first=Lois |date=June 1, 1995 |title=Riding Accident Paralyzes Actor Christopher Reeve |page=A01 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/06/01/riding-accident-paralyzes-actor-christopher-reeve/0be8dd07-bb0c-438d-ae4a-de206f5942f7/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240310223631/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/06/01/riding-accident-paralyzes-actor-christopher-reeve/0be8dd07-bb0c-438d-ae4a-de206f5942f7/ |archive-date=March 10, 2024 |access-date=November 19, 2006 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> He had no recollection of the accident.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 18–25</ref>

===Hospitalization===
After five days in which Reeve was heavily medicated and [[delirium|delirious]], he regained full consciousness. His doctor explained to him his first and second cervical vertebrae had been [[Atlanto-occipital dislocation|destroyed]] and his spinal cord damaged.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 27–30</ref> He was [[paralysis|paralyzed]] from the neck down and unable to breathe without a [[ventilator]].

Reeve's first thoughts when informed about the seriousness of his injury was he had ruined his life, would be a burden on his family, and it might be best to "slip away". He mouthed to his wife Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." She tearfully replied, "I will support whatever you want to do, because this is your life and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you."<ref name="Reeve32">Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 32</ref> In what she would later describe as a "sales ploy", she also told him that if he still wanted to die in two years they could reconsider the question.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Love Pact That Saved Christopher Reeve|date=July 7, 2008 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-love-pact-that-saved-christopher-reeve/|access-date=November 15, 2020|publisher=CBS News}}</ref>

After this conversation, and visits from his children in which he saw how much they needed him, Reeve consented to lifesaving surgery and treatment for [[pneumonia]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), p. 10</ref> He never considered [[euthanasia]] as an option again.<ref name="Reeve32"/><ref name="TWP">{{Cite news|last=Crews|first=Chip|date=May 3, 1998|title=The Role He Can't Escape|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/features/reeve.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104053843/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/features/reeve.htm|archive-date=January 4, 2020|access-date=November 20, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

Reeve went through inner anguish in the [[Intensive care unit|ICU]], particularly when he was alone during the night. His upcoming operation to stabilize his spine in June 1995 "was frightening to contemplate.&nbsp;... I already knew that I had only a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the surgery.&nbsp;... Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent. He announced that he was my [[proctologist]], and that he had to examine me immediately." It was Williams, reprising his character from the film ''[[Nine Months]]''. "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 36</ref>{{refn|group=note|After Reeve's accident, some media outlets published a story about a college pact in which the two vowed to take care of each other. Both Reeve and Williams said the story was untrue.<ref>{{cite video |date=February 13, 1996 |people=Winfrey, Oprah (host) |title=The Prank Robin Williams Pulled to Cheer Up Christopher Reeve |type=Talk show |language=en |url=https://www.oprah.com/own-oprahshow/the-prank-robin-williams-pulled-to-cheer-up-christopher-reeve |location=United States |publisher=Oprah Winfrey Network}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 25, 1996 |title=CNN Larry King Weekend |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/lklw/date/2002-02-23/segment/00 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114100824/https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/lklw/date/2002-02-23/segment/00 |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |access-date=December 21, 2024 |website=CNN}}</ref> Williams also denied reports that he was paying Reeve's medical bills: "I've done some things, but [the press] made it seem like I'm footing all the bills."<ref>{{cite video |people=O'Dell, Nancy (host) |date=August 16, 2014 |title=Tribute to Robin Williams |type=News magazine |language=en |location=United States |publisher=Entertainment Tonight}}</ref>}} In addition to visits from friends and family, Reeve received over 400,000 letters from all over the world, which gave him great comfort during his recovery.<ref>{{cite web |last=Beyette |first=Beverly |date=December 8, 1999 |title=For Superman, Letters of Hope |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-08-cl-41547-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113060716/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-08-cl-41547-story.html |archive-date=November 13, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|In 1999, Dana published about 200 selected letters, with the permission of their authors, in her book, ''Care Packages: Letters to Christopher Reeve from Strangers and Other Friends''. {{ISBN|0-375-50076-6}}.}}

[[John A. Jane]] performed surgery to repair Reeve's neck [[vertebra]]e. He put wires underneath both [[Vertebra#Structure|laminae]] and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. He inserted a [[Titanium biocompatibility|titanium pin]] and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fitted the wires through to secure the skull to the [[spinal column]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Suplee |first=Curt |date=June 6, 1995 |title=Reeve Undergoes Surgery to Prevent Further Injury |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/06/06/reeve-undergoes-surgery-to-prevent-further-injury/8eb8a926-cb17-41af-88f2-09cb8a9cdfc1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250112080906/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/06/06/reeve-undergoes-surgery-to-prevent-further-injury/8eb8a926-cb17-41af-88f2-09cb8a9cdfc1/ |archive-date=January 12, 2025 |access-date=November 12, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> To access the cord, the surgeon had to cut a [[tendon]] on the right side of Reeve's neck, which became shorter and less flexible as a result, causing his head to tilt slightly to the right.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite web |last=Bedell |first=Geraldine |date=February 9, 2003 |title=You'll believe a man can walk |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/feb/09/features.review1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219010558/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/feb/09/features.review1 |archive-date=December 19, 2024 |access-date=December 4, 2024 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

===Rehabilitation===
After a month in the hospital, Reeve spent six months at the [[Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation|Kessler Rehabilitation Center]] in [[West Orange, New Jersey]], to continue with his recovery and learn skills such as operating his [[sip-and-puff]] electric [[Motorized wheelchair|wheelchair]] by blowing air through a straw. In his autobiography ''[[Still Me]]'', he described initially not wanting to face the reality of his disability. Getting used to sitting strapped into a wheelchair or taking a shower was initially terrifying. Reeve developed a deep fondness for many of the staff at Kessler, and through conversations with the other patients gradually started to see himself as being part of the disabled community.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 96–126</ref>{{refn|group=note|In September 1995, ''The Journey of Christopher Reeve'' aired on ABC News' ''[[20/20 (American TV program)|20/20]]''. Featuring in-depth interviews with Reeve and Dana, and showing his rehabilitation process at Kessler, the special became a winner of the [[Peabody Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |title=20/20: The Journey of Christopher Reeve |url=https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-journey-of-christopher-reeve/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528103014/https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-journey-of-christopher-reeve/ |archive-date=May 28, 2024 |access-date=November 14, 2024 |website=[[Peabody Awards]]}}</ref>}}

For the first few months after the accident, Reeve relied on a ventilator, which was connected to his neck through a [[tracheostomy tube]], for every breath. With therapy and practice, he developed the ability to breathe on his own for up to 90 minutes at a time.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 141</ref>

At home, Reeve exercised for up to four or five hours a day, using specialized exercise machines to stimulate his muscles and prevent [[muscle atrophy]] and [[osteoporosis]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 9, 2003|title=Superman's toughest battle|work=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2736277.stm|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> He believed that intense physical therapy could [[regeneration (biology)|regenerate]] the [[nervous system]], and also wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure for paralysis were found.

Beginning in 2000, he started to regain the ability to make small movements with his fingers and other parts of his body. By 2002, he could feel the prick of a needle and sense hot and cold temperatures on 65% of his body.<ref>{{cite news|author=Oliver Burkeman|date=September 17, 2002|title=Man of steel|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,793417,00.html|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Blakeslee|first=Sandra|date=September 12, 2002|title=Actor Regains Some Movement, Doctor Says|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/12/us/actor-regains-some-movement-doctor-says.html|access-date=July 16, 2018}}</ref> He regularly exercised in a swimming pool and could push off with his legs from the side of a pool and make a [[snow angel]] movement with his arms. He also had a sense of [[proprioception]], which is critical for movement control.<ref name="New Yorker">{{cite magazine |last=Cappello |first=Daniel |date=November 2, 2003 |title=The Reeve Factor |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/11/10/the-reeve-factor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202094010/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/11/10/the-reeve-factor |archive-date=December 2, 2024 |access-date=December 9, 2024 |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref> Initially, Reeve was given an A grade on the [[American Spinal Injury Association|ASIA Impairment Scale]], indicating no motor or sensory function. In 2002, his grade was changed to C, indicating some degree of muscle movement and sensation. Reeve's doctors were surprised by his improvements, which they attributed to his intensive exercise regimen. The degree of his recovery was reported in scientific journals.<ref>{{cite journal |date=June 14, 2003 |title=Man and superman |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1126178 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208011155/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1126178/ |archive-date=December 8, 2024 |pmc=1126178 |last1=Eaton |first1=L. |journal=BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) |volume=326 |issue=7402 |pages=1287–1290 |doi=10.1136/bmj.326.7402.1287 |pmid=12805155 }}</ref>

In February 2003, Reeve became the third patient in the United States to undergo an experimental procedure in which electrodes were implanted in his diaphragm to help him breathe without a ventilator.<ref>{{cite web |title=NeuRx DPS® |url=https://www.synapsebiomedical.com/faq/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227124702/https://www.synapsebiomedical.com/faq/ |archive-date=December 27, 2024 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=Synapse Biomedical|date=November 23, 2015 }}</ref> Previously, he could force air into his lungs using his neck muscles, which required a lot of effort. With a [[Diaphragm pacing|diaphragm pacing device]], he was able to breathe normally through his nose, regaining his sense of smell and normal speech.<ref>{{cite web |last=Morales |first=Tatiana |date=March 13, 2003 |title=Reeve Pushes Ahead |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reeve-pushes-ahead/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226110134/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reeve-pushes-ahead/ |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Higgs |first=Robert |date=March 14, 2003 |title=Reeve hopes UH implant frees him from ventilator |url=https://www.cleveland.com/pdextra/2009/01/reeve_hopes_uh_implant_frees_h.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226180839/https://www.cleveland.com/pdextra/2009/01/reeve_hopes_uh_implant_frees_h.html |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=cleveland.com}}</ref> At first, the device allowed him to breathe for 15 minutes an hour, but over time this increased up to 18 hours a day.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vergano |first=Dan |date=November 15, 2003 |title=Reeve speaks after rare op |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-10049841.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226110407/https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-10049841.html |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=Irish Examiner}}</ref> In November 2003, Reeve appeared in public without a ventilator for the first time since his accident.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 23, 2003 |title=Reeve makes speech without ventilator |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30122949.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250108092027/https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30122949.html |archive-date=January 8, 2025 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=Irish Examiner}}</ref> In 2008, the device was approved by the [[Food and Drug Administration|FDA]] under a [[Humanitarian Device Exemption]], and received [[Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938#Premarket approval (PMA)|premarket approval]] in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last=MacMillan |first=Owen |date=April 7, 2023 |title="When you can't breathe, nothing else matters": Oberlin company receives FDA approval |url=https://chroniclet.com/news/347642/when-you-cant-breathe-nothing-else-matters-oberlin-company-receives-fda-approval/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250108092200/https://chroniclet.com/news/347642/when-you-cant-breathe-nothing-else-matters-oberlin-company-receives-fda-approval/ |archive-date=January 8, 2025 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=The Chronicle}}</ref>

===Life with paralysis===
In December 1995, Reeve moved back to his home in [[Bedford (town), New York|Bedford]], New York. By two years after the accident, Reeve said he was "glad to be alive, not out of obligation to others, but because life was worth living."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), p. 14</ref> He continued to require round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, with a rotating team of 10 nurses and five aides working in his home.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Dinitia |date=April 30, 1998 |title=A Life With a Before and an After; For Christopher Reeve, It Isn't as Simple as Superman or Victim (Published 1998) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/30/books/life-with-before-after-for-christopher-reeve-it-isn-t-simple-superman-victim.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111180039/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/30/books/life-with-before-after-for-christopher-reeve-it-isn-t-simple-superman-victim.html |archive-date=November 11, 2023 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|The nursing care was covered by Reeve's insurance after much struggle with the insurance company, while he paid for the aides himself.<ref name="The Guardian"/>}}

In the aftermath of the accident, Reeve went through intense grief. He gradually resolved to make the best of his new life, with a busy schedule of activism, film work, writing and promoting his books, public speaking, and parenting. In 1998, he said in an interview:

<blockquote>Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock, and then grieving, with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don't want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.<ref name="Ability"/></blockquote>

In another interview, Reeve said he drew on the self-discipline he had gained in his early years in the theater:

<blockquote>Nobody wants another actor. There's too many of them now already.&nbsp;... To keep believing in yourself in spite of those kinds of obstacles is certainly good preparation for what I'm going through now.<ref name="TWP"/></blockquote>

===Religious views===
For most of his life, Reeve did not identify with any religion. He attended his stepfather's Presbyterian church as a young teenager.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), pp. 67–68</ref> In 1975, he briefly explored [[Scientology]] but chose not to become a member. He subsequently voiced criticism of the organization.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), pp. 70–81</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Superman Christopher Reeve blasts Scientology |url=http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/australia/age02-052003.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306031759/http://lermanet.org/scientologynews/australia/age02-052003.html |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |work=[[The Age]] |date=February 5, 2003 |access-date=January 14, 2025}}</ref>

Reeve described his wedding in 1992 as his "first act of faith". After his accident, many well-wishers suggested that prayer would make him feel better, but he did not find it helpful. "I wondered what was wrong with me", he later wrote. "I had broken my neck and become paralyzed, possibly forever, but still hadn't found God."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), p. 151</ref>

In his 2002 book ''Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life'', Reeve said that he and his wife had regularly attended [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian]] services, starting in his late 40s. In the years following the accident, he had gradually come to believe that:

<blockquote>Spirituality is found in the way we live our daily lives. It means spending time thinking about others. It's not so hard to imagine that there is some kind of higher power. We don't have to know what form it takes or exactly where it exists; just to honor it and try to live by it is enough.&nbsp;... As these thoughts unfolded in the process of learning to live my new life, I had no idea that I was becoming a Unitarian.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), pp. 152–153</ref></blockquote>