When I was injured in 1982, we were in total darkness of what to do next. There was no phone number to call for guidance or help. There were no experts reaching out to review the latest happenings in research. And there certainly was no promise that anyone living with a spinal cord injury would ever walk or stand again. Despite that, we all mobilized together and set out to change the then accepted negative dogma. A wave of support from all of you, generations of friends, led to a movement which today is changing the lives of individuals with spinal cord injuries.
My family vowed to make a difference so no one would ever feel as hopeless as we did. We compelled researchers to look deeper into the possibility of cures for paralysis and joined forces with Christopher Reeve to transform the field into one of the most collaborative and forward-thinking areas of science.
Fast forward three decades later, and I am in awe of the progress we have achieved. In 2018 alone, we have seen some of the biggest and most profound breakthroughs with people recovering the ability to stand and step as a result of groundbreaking technology like epidural stimulation. These life-changing recoveries were made possible because of our amazing community of supporters, people like you, who have rallied in support of our dual mission -- Today's Care. Tomorrow's Cure.
I’m proud to be associated with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation because every day this organization is allowing people with disabilities to have endless dreams and convert them to reality. The current cascade of discoveries in spinal cord research has proven that my family's once impossible dream -- cures for spinal cord injury -- is now our inevitable future given the real, undeniable results being reported from multiple labs around the world. But we can only bring these treatments to the forefront of care if we have the funds to do so. That is why I am matching every online gift from now until December 31 to help the Reeve Foundation reach its $50,000 year-end goal.
In 1982, with the support of the Short Hills community in New Jersey, we created an organization that has since helped hundreds of thousands of families impacted by paralysis. Imagine the possibilities for the future if we all come together in the here and now.
It is now our vision -- our promise -- to transform the Reeve mission to Today's Care, Today's Cure.
Sincerely,
Henry Stifel
Vice Chairman, Board of Directors
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation