Dana Reeve, an actress who became an advocate for the disabled after her husband Christopher Reeve became paralyzed, died on Monday night of lung cancer at the age of 44, said Kathy Lewis, the president and chief executive officer of the Christopher Reeve Foundation.Dana Reeve, who fought for better treatments and possible cures for paralysis through the Christopher Reeve Foundation, has died of lung cancer.
Ms. Reeve, who did not smoke, announced last August that she had lung cancer. She lived in Pound Ridge, N.Y.
An actress and singer who had appeared in shows like "Law and Order" and "All My Children," Ms. Reeve took on an increasingly prominent role after her husband's paralysis in a horse riding accident in 1996. Together, they created the Christopher Reeve Foundation, which drew on his fame as the actor in the "Superman" movies and the inspiration many drew from his struggle to raise and distribute over $55 million in research grants, much of it aimed at speeding the development of stem-cell treatments.
Ms. Reeve became the foundation's chairwoman after her husband's death in 2004. She was responsible for developing the foundation's Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, and for a program that has distributed more than $8 million for projects that improve the daily lives of people with paralysis, Ms. Lewis said in a statement.
When Ms. Reeve announced her cancer, she said that "now, more than ever, I feel Chris with me as I face this challenge. I look to him as the ultimate example of defying the odds with strength, courage and hope in the face of life's adversities."
She is survived by a 13-year-old son, Will, two step-children, Matthew and Alexandra, her father, Dr. Charles Morosini and two sisters, Deborah Morosini and Adrienne Morosini Heilman.
1 comment:
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