Look closely! This is me (white t-shirt) around age 20 and Christopher (to the right) in his teens during a sack race at an acting workshop.

Dear Reeve Foundation Supporter,

I first met Christopher Reeve at the McCarter Theater in Princeton. He was just 16 or 17 years old, but had already decided that he was going to be a professional actor. I didn't doubt him. Christopher was the kind of person who believed he could do anything he set his mind to, and made other people believe it too.

That's why I wasn't surprised by the unwavering optimism and courage he displayed after his injury. That was his gift. And by turning his personal tragedy into a public triumph, he touched our lives too. Dana endured terrible things as well, but I never heard her speak a self-pitying word. She gave strength not just to Christopher, but to everyone who knew her.

Together, the two of them, with the help of friends like you and me, built an organization that embodies the best of each of them. Fueled by Christopher's determination and guided by Dana's compassion, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation brings cutting-edge treatments and therapies from the world's leading scientists and researchers directly to patients in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and their own homes.

While I am saddened that Christopher and Dana are not here to witness it, I take comfort in knowing how pleased they would be that the work they set in motion is bringing hope to so many people living with spinal cord injuries, their families, and their caregivers. Their vision is being realized -- thanks to you.

As friends of the Reeve Foundation, you and I now carry on Christopher and Dana's legacy. I try to support the Reeve Foundation in any way I can. When Christopher asked me to host the annual "Hope in Motion" benefit, I couldn't say yes fast enough.

Today I donate to help find the cures that Christopher knew were possible. Not only because Christopher and Dana were my friends, but because I can think of no more worthy undertaking than to find cures for spinal cord injury.

I hope you will help me continue Christopher and Dana's work by making a generous contribution to the Reeve Foundation online right now.

Your gift will help advance the groundbreaking research Christopher believed in so passionately, research that is right now helping people regain function and mobility and, in some cases, even walk again. Your gift will also support the Quality of Life program that became Dana's crusade to help people lead more mobile and independent lives.

On behalf of all the people whose hope and health depends on the work being done by the Reeve Foundation, thank you for giving generously. Together, we can take the next steps in the journey that Christopher and Dana began.

Yours truly, John Lithgow