The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated community located within Millburn Township, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City. As of the 2020 United States Census, the CDP's pop ...
, dedicated to finding treatments and cures for
paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...
caused by spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders.
The organization's mission statement states, "The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy." Since 1982, it has distributed over $138 million to spinal cord researchers, and $28 million to nonprofits that aim to support better quality-of-life for people with disabilities.
History
The foundation was started in 1982 by Henry Stifel, whose son had been injured in a motor vehicle accident. Its original name was the Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation, and it was later renamed the American Paralysis Association (APA). In 1995, the actor
Christopher Reeve became
quadriplegic as a result of a horse riding accident. Reeve sought out the help of the APA and raised funds for it. In 1996, the foundation was renamed the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and then the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
After Reeve's death in October 2004, his widow,
Dana Reeve
Dana Charles Reeve (née Morosini; March 17, 1961 – March 6, 2006) was an American actress, singer, and activist for disability causes. She was the wife of actor Christopher Reeve and mother of television reporter and anchor Will Reeve.
Early ...
, assumed the chairmanship of the Foundation. Dana Reeve herself died 17 months later, in March 2006, of lung cancer.
On March 11, 2007, the Foundation announced that it had changed its name to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation on the first anniversary of Dana Reeve's death. As of 2020, all three of Christopher and Dana Reeve's children serve on the foundation's board of directors.
See also
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Spinal cord injury research
*
Rehabilitation in spinal cord injury When treating a person with a spinal cord injury, repairing the damage created by injury is the ultimate goal. By using a variety of treatments, greater improvements are achieved, and, therefore, treatment should not be limited to one method. Furthe ...
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Neurology organizations
Organizations established in 1982
Health charities in the United States
Superman
1982 establishments in New Jersey
Charities based in New Jersey
Disability organizations based in the United States
Medical and health organizations based in New Jersey