A True Superman
FABLES FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN
READING TIME: 2 minutes
His life started out with a spectacular education at Cornell University, and the the world-famous Julliard School. He was only 24 when he made his Broadway debut. His amazing talent for acting, and his impressive size and masculinity made him a superb choice for the starring role in the blockbuster movie “Superman.” Christopher Reeve’s life looked like a super-hero soaring across the sky.
He loved horses and he loved competition. I think it was a polo match, but it might have been a horse riding competition. Christopher fell from his horse and broke his neck, leaving him completely paralyzed and unable to breathe without a respirator. I remember how I cried when I heard the news.
For five years, he laid motionless, locked in his body, as he steadily deteriorated. Then came hope. Dr. John McDonald, a neurosurgeon at Washington University thought he might be able to help Christopher.
They started a rigorous regimen where they passed electrical currents to stimulate muscles and essentially exercise his body. While his body was twitching and moving, Christopher tried to imagine his mind was moving the various parts of his body. Within months, Reeves could control the index finger on his right hand. Soon, he could move the rest of his fingers, then his hand. Eventually, he could lift his hand off a table and bend it at the wrist. He could move his arms and legs while lying on his bed.
After four years of work, Reeves was regularly breathing on his own, could feel sensations on his skin over half his body, and could swim. Yes. Swim. Don’t quote me, but I think he might have been the very first patient ever to move from state “A’ (total paralysis) to “C” (halfway to no paralysis). We can only imagine how far he could have gone retraining his brain in this way, but, we’ll never know. He had an adverse reaction to an antibiotic and tragically died.
His biography says before the accident, Christopher “was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression.” After the accident, “he lobbied for spinal cord injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.”
But this isn’t just about Christopher Reeve’s brain, it’s about yours. Your brain is a miracle - and the aspect we just don’t appreciate enough is its “plasticity.” Plasticity is what scientists call the ability of the brain to rewire itself and make new connections. Become a better dancer, piano player, writer. Become less angry, more humorous, more grateful. Learn a foreign language, memorize a book. Life itself is reworking parts of your brain continuously as you are exposed to different inputs - songs, sights, ideas, problems, etc. But you can also rework your brain on purpose by the experiences you curate for yourself. So what will you teach yourself today to release your inner Superman? I know you can already control the index finger on your right hand, so you have no excuse. Pitter Patter.
I love you,
Granny