Jan 1, 2005 12:00 PM

, By Herbert E. Nass, partner, Herbert E. Nass & Associates, New York, and Norwalk, Conn.

By Herbert E. Nass, partner, Herbert E. Nass & Associates, New York, and Norwalk, Conn.

Although he played Superman on the silver screen, it was after Christopher Reeve broke his neck and became paralyzed in 1995 at age 42 in a horseback riding accident, that he became a symbol of courage and hope to the world.

Against the odds, Reeve not only survived for almost 10 years after his injury, but also demonstrated how, as a quadriplegic, he could make the most of the resources he had: a sharp mind, determination and stardom. Reeve used his celebrity status to campaign for stem cell research and better insurance coverage for catastrophic medical injuries. He also directed movies, including one about a paralyzed young woman, The Brooke Ellison Story, and often proclaimed that someday he would walk again. Unfortunately, that was not to be.