Superman is dead, but his work will live on. Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the Hollywood version of the strip cartoon, will be remembered not just for his undoubted acting ability but also for the extraordinary courage and zest for life he displayed after being paralysed from the neck downwards in a riding accident in 1995 when his career was in full swing. He subsequently became a role model for disabled people in the way he refused to allow the condition to conquer his spirit as well as his body, and for the tireless way he campaigned on disability issues.
He did not want or expect to die at the age of 52 but if his death gives a boost to stem cell research, for which he lobbied so enthusiastically, then he could have no more fitting a memorial. Stem cells taken from embryos (as opposed to adult stem cells) have the ability to develop into different types of tissue offering hope to sufferers from Mr Reeve's condition and numerous others, including incurable diseases such as muscular dystrophy, congestive heart disease and Alzheimer's. It is not pushing the metaphor too far to say that the fruits of such research may one day replicate in medicine the life-saving feats that Superman himself performed.
Stem cell research on embryos is a controversial subject in the US. The Bush administration permits federal research funding into adult stem cells but has prohibited the use of such funds for embryonic stem cell research. The argument is thatit destroys human life, even though an early stage embryo (under 14 days old) is smaller than a pinhead.
Last week, John Kerry, to his credit, stood by his earlier support for embryonic stem cell research despite the risk of alienating some religious groups in the last month of the presidential election campaign. Appropriately, he quoted Christopher Reeve, a friend of his, in support of his point of view. It is a tragedy that Mr Reeve has lost his life so young. The best bequest he could leave is that increased support for stem-cell research may one day lead to a cure for diseases that currently are lethal.
