The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in

Short Hills, New Jersey Short Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) situated within Millburn, in Essex County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey, and part of the New York metropolitan area. The community is a commuter town for resi ...

, dedicated to finding treatments and cures for

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

caused by spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders. The organization's mission statement states: "We are dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis." , it has distributed over $140 million to spinal cord researchers, and $46 million to nonprofits that aim to support better quality-of-life for people with disabilities.

History

The foundation was started in 1982 by Hank Stifel, whose son Henry had been injured in a motor vehicle accident. Its original name was the Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation. In the mid-1980s, Stifel approached the American Paralysis Association (APA) about a merger under the APA banner. In 1995, actor

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...

became

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of Motor control, motor and/or Sense, sensory function in the Cervical vertebrae, cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weak ...

as a result of a horse riding accident. Reeve reached out to the APA and raised funds for it. He joined the board of directors and was elected chairman. In 1996, Reeve established the Christopher Reeve Foundation. In 1999, CRF and APA merged into the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Later, the word "paralysis" was dropped from its name and the organization was called the Christopher Reeve Foundation. After Reeve's death in October 2004, his widow, Dana Reeve, 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 2024, all three of Christopher Reeve's children serve on the foundation's board of directors. They are television reporter and anchor Will Reeve, film producer and director Matthew Reeve, and lawyer Alexandra Reeve Givens.

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

History

See also

References

External links