Known for his unshakable love as a father, Christopher Reeve never allowed his disability stop him from spending special time with his kids. His youngest son talked about a special rule they had before the actor’s health deteriorated, even after he passed away.
The most well-known performance of Christopher Reeve was in the “Superman” movies. He is currently the focus of the recently released documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.”
The movie tells the story of his rise to fame and the catastrophic horseback riding accident that left him crippled in 1995. Despite the catastrophic damage, Christopher went on to become a fervent supporter of disability rights and spinal cord injury research.
Christopher was also a loving spouse and a loving father of three children. This gives us an insight into the family’s private life, especially the rigid dining table rules that were put in place following the actor’s paralysis.
Despite his physical restrictions, Christopher was strong willed and committed to upholding a solid family life. Matthew, Alexandra, and Will, his now-adult children, spoke openly about his deteriorating health during a recent “Good Morning America” interview.
“There were times when he received terrible medical news and significant setbacks. And he would allow us to witness both the disappointment and the anticipation,” Alexandra confessed.
She noted that regardless of the repeated terrible news that her father received, he would still recommend that they go out for dinner as a family or watch a movie.
Despite the accident, Christopher continued to be a hands-on father in terms of parenting style. Despite being unable to walk himself, the actor even taught his youngest child, Will, how to ride a bike.
When Will thought back on this encounter, he called it “remarkable.” “GMA” showed a video of young Will riding his bike while his parents observed during the interview. When asked how he felt about riding the bike, he replied, “Good!” to the laughter of his wheelchair-bound, but proud, father.
Dana and Christopher had set rituals for the children that included a primary guideline at the dinner table. Despite the constant bad news or even some good news, Will disclosed that “Dinner was family time,” during which the couple would inquire about school.
He went on, “They sat at the head next to each other, my mom would feed him and herself.” Will characterized the five-member family’s visits from friends as a positive and enriching experience.
The number one rule during their family’s time together was that no one was permitted to talk about “specific medical stuff” at dinner every night, Will revealed.
Despite the situation, the family used to laugh together at the time. Regretfully, Christopher’s health began to fail nine years later, in 2004, and he passed away.
Alexandra broke down in tears recalling her stepmother Dana Reeve’s frantic dash toward her sick husband, saying, “I love you, I love you,” over and over, making sure he heard that she was going to get to him.
Will said that he was positive that at that very moment, a piece of his cherished mother also passed away. “I expressed my affection for him to him. He recalled, “[That] I would do whatever I could to make him proud.”
That was the thrilling moment when 52-year-old Christopher Reeve went unexpectedly from cardiac problems in October 2004. At his funeral, his wife Dana gave a heartbreaking speech in which she promised to “love, honor, and cherish him forever.”
Tragically, despite never having smoked, the Hollywood star’s widow was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer only 10 months after her death. When her son Will was just twelve years old, the actress recalled how heartbreaking it was to have to break the news to him.
“I thought how much can one little soul, bear,” she continued. Proactively, Dana changed her will to allow her child to live with the family of his best buddy.
Sadly, the singer passed away from the illness seven months later in March 2006, at the age of 44, leaving her 13-year-old son Will behind. “That’s when I realized I was completely alone,” stated the man.
Still, he wasn’t completely alone. Following the death of both of his parents, Will expressed his sincere gratitude for the tremendous support he received from friends and family.
He has lived with his close neighbors for about 20 years, describing them as best friends. He characterized moving in with them as an incredibly amazing experience. Matthew and Alexandra, his older half-siblings, were important characters in his life, providing love, support, and direction.
He questioned the two of them in a “GMA” interview about whether people were concerned enough about them following Dana’s passing. Alexandra said that she hadn’t thought of it either, thus it was never a problem.
The most crucial thing, according to Alexandra, was to continue and make sure her siblings were alright. She considered how to properly respect Christopher and Dana while preparing Will for success.
Matthew, on the other hand, was more concerned with his younger siblings and how they carried themselves back then as well as now.
He underlined that during that trying time, everyone helped out, especially his grandparents, Charles and Helen Morini, and the close-knit community surrounding him. It was a “all-hands-on-deck” effort, according to Will, with friends, coaches, teachers, and others pitching in to help him—truly proving that “it takes a village.”
The journey taken by Will Reeve following the death of his parents serves as a powerful example of the strength of family and community. He was surrounded by loved ones, close friends, and a supportive network, which gave him the courage, love, and fortitude to go on.