Jean Horst

Dana Reeve, A Life Well-Lived



Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2006

by Jean Horst

I did not know Dana Reeve, I never spoke to her, met her, or even wrote her a letter. But I did however, admire her greatly from afar and was saddened to hear of her death from non-smokers lung cancer. It was a loss to us all.

Let me tell you why I say that of someone I never knew. Dana Reeve was an ordinary woman, an actress, a wife, a mother. One day, life threw her an almost unimaginable curve. The man she had loved, married and had a child with suffered an horrific accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. The life they were building and planning together stopped just like that. That's when she stopped being ordinary and became extraordinary.

I remember reading about the riding accident that made Christopher Reeve a parapalegic. He turned that misfortune into a new role in his life. He became a tireless advocate for the development of new treatment and greater understanding of the life of accident victims. He strove to live his life to the fullest in spite of his limitations. He was nothing short of awe-inspiring. But Dana was beyond heroic in my mind. While Christopher was dealing with a situation he could not control, that was not her case. She could have changed her situation any day she chose. She could have said "I did not marry this man for this". She could have taken her child and left to lead a normal life, pursued her career and lived without the constant strain of caregiving. Yet, she chose to stay with her husband, take on his suffering and devote her life to easing his days in any way she could. And she did it with a smile and enthusiasm. She refused to take the easy way out.

In the past, I have written articles regarding the lack of stability in the lives and families of many celebrities. Dana and Christopher Reeve were one of those celebrity families that broke the mold. What Dana Reeve did in standing by her husband in the midst of great difficulty had nothing to do with celebrity. It completely transcended celebrity or any other definition.

Dana Reeve, I salute you for having lived an extraordinary life by any standards. You raised the bar. I wish I had known you.

Jean Horst lives in Texas with her husband of 25+ years. She has many years of experience in small business and office management. Her interests include travel, music, reading, writing, and family life.
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