Join me in honoring my father on his birthday

My father, Christopher Reeve, would have turned 59 this Sunday, September 25, 2011. And I have never been prouder of him.

When Rob Summers, a completely paralyzed man, recently stood and took steps, he defied decades of conventional wisdom. And he proved my father was right all along.

Rather than allowing his injury to define him, my father redefined what was possible for people living with spinal cord injuries. And, with the generous help of caring friends like you, he energized an international search for treatments and cures for paralysis -- a search that, with your help, led to this remarkable breakthrough.

We are now closer than ever to realizing my father's dream of regained movement, recovered function, and new steps for individuals living with spinal cord injuries. And though he is not here to continue the journey with us, you and I keep his memory alive by carrying on the work he began.

Today, I want to invite you join to me in celebrating his birthday in the way he would have wanted most -- by making a special gift right now to support the breakthrough research being led by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

As a member of the Reeve Foundation's Board of Directors and Quality of Life Committee, I am privileged to be part of the work to which my father devoted the last decade of his life. It is astonishing to think how far we've come.

At the time of my father's accident, there was no:

• NeuroRecovery Network, our state-of-the-art rehabilitation facilities that have a nearly 100% success rate in helping patients improve their health and recover some function or mobility.
• North American Clinical Trials Network, which is making rapid progress in the development of groundbreaking therapies like Riluzole, a promising new neuroprotective drug.
• Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, which has made the federal government a powerful ally in the search for today's care and tomorrow's cures.

In truth, when my father was injured, there was very little reason to believe that a paraplegic person would ever stand again. But he did believe, and through the strength of his conviction he helped make it come true.

But I also know that, for all his strength, courage, and determination, my father couldn't have done it alone. We would not be on the verge of historic advances in the treatment of spinal cord injuries today if it weren't for people like you.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss my dad. But I take comfort in knowing that his spirit lives on in the work of the Reeve Foundation and in your caring and committed support for our mission.

Please help us keep my father's promise to "go forward" -- forward with critical new research, new therapies, and new clinical trials -- by making a special birthday gift to the Reeve Foundation today.

Thank you for your ongoing friendship and support.

With gratitude, Matthew Reeve Board of Directors Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

PS: My father started this journey, but now it is up to you and me to make sure it goes forward. Please make a special birthday contribution to the Reeve Foundation today. Thank you again.