A Life-Altering Turn

On New Year’s Eve in 1994, Christopher looked back on his personal and professional lives and thought them to be perfectly balanced. He was a doting father, happily married, and at the peak of his career. Then, fate took a cruel turn.

The actor, who was so allergic to horses that he had to load up on antihistamines to shoot the riding scenes from 1984’s “Anna Karenina,” was thrown from one during an equestrian competition in May 1995.

At just 42 years old, Christopher’s life was hanging on by a thread. Following the nearly fatal accident, a neurosurgeon fought to reconnect the actor’s shattered spine. However, Christopher’s battle for survival did not end there.

He also endured ulcers, pneumonia, blood clots, broken bones, and a severe allergic reaction to a drug that almost killed him in July 1995. The legendary actor’s injuries were so grave that his mother begged doctors to remove his life support.

During his time in the hospital, Christopher was unable to avoid thinking the darkest thoughts. In addition to being paralyzed, his deteriorating mental state was clouded with hallucinations. Christopher would go on to release two memoirs following his horse-riding incident and revealed that he, too, had thoughts about ending his life.

The actor described the anger he felt toward one doctor who he believed had misled him into believing that there was more hope for him than there really was. Christopher also experienced a harrowing moment when the tube of his ventilator detached from the machine, leaving him without air and unable to talk.

As he waited for a nurse to come and reattach the hose, the “Superman” star recalled laying frozen in the darkness, struggling for breath. However, while on the brink of giving up, it was Christopher’s wife, Dana Reeve, who said something that saved him.

A Remarkable Resurgence

On his death bed, Christopher had turned to his wife and said, “Maybe we should let me go.” However, uttering the words that saved him, she responded, “You’re still you, and I love you.”

In addition to releasing two memoirs, Christopher returned to making films. He directed the 1997 movie “In the Gloaming,” where he sat in front of a video screen and gave instructions to the crew in the other room, a method many directors used.

The Hollywood star was able to rebuild his life to a certain extent. Christopher was also filled with so much gratitude that he did not have to worry about finance during this life-changing ordeal, a gift not many in his position had.

However, Dana revealed that the actor still experienced lows with the highs. “Chris is incredibly resilient. He will occasionally get down, [and] hit rock bottom. I just listen, and try to find things that can help,” she said.

Being Remembered by His Children

Christopher died of heart failure on October 11, 2004. He was 52. “On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they provided to my husband,” Dana said in a statement.

“I also want to thank his personal staff of nurses and aides, as well as the millions of fans from around the world who have supported and loved my husband over the years,” the late actor’s wife added.

Christopher’s legacy lives on through his three children. His eldest child, Matthew Reeve, has since gone on to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursued a career in the film industry. Matthew has made a name for himself as a writer, producer, and director, and beyond the camera, he is a father himself.

In 2017, Matthew appeared in a picture enjoying a family trip to Stockholm, Sweden, with his baby and his younger half-brother, William.