Christopher Reeve's Kids Reveal Emotional First Words They Told Dad the First Time They Saw Him Paralyzed

Mar. 15, 2025

From L: Matt Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens and Will Reeve in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2024.Photo:Clayton Chase/IndieWire/GettyChristopher Reeve’s children are recalling the first time they spoke to their dad after his life-altering 1995 equestrian accident that left him paralyzed.Matthew Reeve,Alexandra Reeve GivensandWill Reevespoke withDiane Sawyerabout their late father ahead of the release of the documentarySuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryonGood Morning AmericaMonday, Sept. 16.Alexandra, 40, recalled how stepmotherDana Reevebriefed the kids before taking them in to see Christopher, explaining that she “walked us down and she said, ‘It’s gonna look really scary, but he’s still there. Just talk to him. Ignore everything else. Just talk to him.’ ““She said, ‘You can hold his hand.’ And it has machines on it, you know, and you’re reaching and holding his fingers,” she continued.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Christopher and Dana Reeve with son Will Reeve in Hollywood, California, on April 15, 1997.Steve Granitz/WireImage"As far as I remembermy first words were just, ‘I love you. We’re here,’ " added Matthew, now 44.Will, 32, was just shy of 3 years old when his dad was thrown from his horse and landed on his head during an equestrian competition on May 27, 1995, resulting in a severespinal-cord injury that left him paralyzedfrom the neck down.As Will said Monday onGMA,“I think in an effort to make sure that I wasn’t terrified of my dad permanently, my mom made sure that I was involved as was reasonable.““That included always being near him and touching him and helping lift his legs to range him, which is important for someone with a spinal-cord injury,” explained the ABC News correspondent.Supermanlegend Christopher died at the age of 52 in 2004, and his wife Dana died 17 months later at the age of 44 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.About losing both his parents at such a young age, Will told PEOPLE that he received an extraordinary amount of support from family and friends.“I moved in with our beloved neighbors who were our best friends,” he explained of what happened next. “And that’s been such an unlikely, amazing experience for almost 20 years.“Will went on to saythat “everybody came through,“to help him, calling it “an all-hands-on-deck situation” that also included his “maternal grandparents, Charles and Helen Morini,” who “were unbelievably indispensable.““We were fortunate enough to live in a tight-knit community,” he said. “We had big groups of friends and teachers and coaches and people from the past and people from the present just chipping in however they could always.“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Storyis in select theaters Sept. 21 and Sept. 25.

From L: Matt Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens and Will Reeve in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2024.Photo:Clayton Chase/IndieWire/Getty

Clayton Chase/IndieWire/Getty

Christopher Reeve’s children are recalling the first time they spoke to their dad after his life-altering 1995 equestrian accident that left him paralyzed.Matthew Reeve,Alexandra Reeve GivensandWill Reevespoke withDiane Sawyerabout their late father ahead of the release of the documentarySuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryonGood Morning AmericaMonday, Sept. 16.Alexandra, 40, recalled how stepmotherDana Reevebriefed the kids before taking them in to see Christopher, explaining that she “walked us down and she said, ‘It’s gonna look really scary, but he’s still there. Just talk to him. Ignore everything else. Just talk to him.’ ““She said, ‘You can hold his hand.’ And it has machines on it, you know, and you’re reaching and holding his fingers,” she continued.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Christopher and Dana Reeve with son Will Reeve in Hollywood, California, on April 15, 1997.Steve Granitz/WireImage"As far as I remembermy first words were just, ‘I love you. We’re here,’ " added Matthew, now 44.Will, 32, was just shy of 3 years old when his dad was thrown from his horse and landed on his head during an equestrian competition on May 27, 1995, resulting in a severespinal-cord injury that left him paralyzedfrom the neck down.As Will said Monday onGMA,“I think in an effort to make sure that I wasn’t terrified of my dad permanently, my mom made sure that I was involved as was reasonable.““That included always being near him and touching him and helping lift his legs to range him, which is important for someone with a spinal-cord injury,” explained the ABC News correspondent.Supermanlegend Christopher died at the age of 52 in 2004, and his wife Dana died 17 months later at the age of 44 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.About losing both his parents at such a young age, Will told PEOPLE that he received an extraordinary amount of support from family and friends.“I moved in with our beloved neighbors who were our best friends,” he explained of what happened next. “And that’s been such an unlikely, amazing experience for almost 20 years.“Will went on to saythat “everybody came through,“to help him, calling it “an all-hands-on-deck situation” that also included his “maternal grandparents, Charles and Helen Morini,” who “were unbelievably indispensable.““We were fortunate enough to live in a tight-knit community,” he said. “We had big groups of friends and teachers and coaches and people from the past and people from the present just chipping in however they could always.“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Storyis in select theaters Sept. 21 and Sept. 25.

Christopher Reeve’s children are recalling the first time they spoke to their dad after his life-altering 1995 equestrian accident that left him paralyzed.

Matthew Reeve,Alexandra Reeve GivensandWill Reevespoke withDiane Sawyerabout their late father ahead of the release of the documentarySuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryonGood Morning AmericaMonday, Sept. 16.

Alexandra, 40, recalled how stepmotherDana Reevebriefed the kids before taking them in to see Christopher, explaining that she “walked us down and she said, ‘It’s gonna look really scary, but he’s still there. Just talk to him. Ignore everything else. Just talk to him.’ "

“She said, ‘You can hold his hand.’ And it has machines on it, you know, and you’re reaching and holding his fingers,” she continued.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Christopher and Dana Reeve with son Will Reeve in Hollywood, California, on April 15, 1997.Steve Granitz/WireImage

Steve Granitz/WireImage

“As far as I remembermy first words were just, ‘I love you. We’re here,’ " added Matthew, now 44.

Will, 32, was just shy of 3 years old when his dad was thrown from his horse and landed on his head during an equestrian competition on May 27, 1995, resulting in a severespinal-cord injury that left him paralyzedfrom the neck down.

As Will said Monday onGMA,“I think in an effort to make sure that I wasn’t terrified of my dad permanently, my mom made sure that I was involved as was reasonable.”

“That included always being near him and touching him and helping lift his legs to range him, which is important for someone with a spinal-cord injury,” explained the ABC News correspondent.

Supermanlegend Christopher died at the age of 52 in 2004, and his wife Dana died 17 months later at the age of 44 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

About losing both his parents at such a young age, Will told PEOPLE that he received an extraordinary amount of support from family and friends.

“I moved in with our beloved neighbors who were our best friends,” he explained of what happened next. “And that’s been such an unlikely, amazing experience for almost 20 years.”

Will went on to saythat “everybody came through,“to help him, calling it “an all-hands-on-deck situation” that also included his “maternal grandparents, Charles and Helen Morini,” who “were unbelievably indispensable.”

“We were fortunate enough to live in a tight-knit community,” he said. “We had big groups of friends and teachers and coaches and people from the past and people from the present just chipping in however they could always.”

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Storyis in select theaters Sept. 21 and Sept. 25.

source: people.com