Oops! We had to remove the hero profile you’re looking for because it appears in our book Heroic Leadership: An Influence Taxonomy of 100 Exceptional Individuals, published by Routledge in 2013.
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— Scott Allison and George Goethals
Dana has the biggest heart that i have ever seen before. the will and love that she had/has for her husband was Tremendous. living with her own life threatening disease, which Ultimately took her own life, she still had the will and power to allow her husband(superman) to live through her. Her strength, and courage should be more Acknowledged.
Mrs. Reeves is an inspirational woman if you ask me. She basically gave up her life to take care of her husband. Her heart is enormous and filled with love and kindness. To stand by her husband side even though she was very sick also brings tears to my eyes. Not only should she be recognized as a strong, loving, caring, and courageous woman, but a HERO as well.
Dana Reeve was without a doubt an inspirational figure. Without hesitation, she dropped everything and essentially gave up her dreams and her desires to be there for her husband when he needed her the most. That defines love. She was sick herself and yet, she never let her husband see her suffer, knowing that it would only make him hurt more. The fact that she maintained the will and the strength to stand by her husband, as well as the strength to endure the pains of her own life threatening disease, is beyond my imagination. I can recall times when I was faced with some of life's obstacles and my first response was always to run away; for me, that seemed easier than facing the problems at hand. However, after reading about Dana Reeve's story, I realized that running away is never going to solve anything. Dana Reeve is a prime example of what it means to be a hero. Life was not easy for her but she never gave up.
In a world where divorce is common, and “pulling the plug” is an option, Dana Reeve actions as a loving wife stand out as truly heroic. She is inspiring because of her loyalty and love, but also because of her great humility. She did not wish to be considered superhuman as she cared for Christopher, but drew attention away from herself to those who fought through the similar struggles without the support of the public. What an amazing woman she must have been!
I have always loved Dana Reeve’s story, as I believe it to be truly inspirational and represents the many times unrealized difficult and draining job of being the caretaker of a sick loved one. Reeve is definitely a hero on both a personal level to her husband, as well on a public level for the time and effort she dedicated to help other victims of paralysis. Also, her death at a young age, soon after her husband passed away, freezes her in time as a vibrant, gibing, and compassionate hero.
She seems like a truly incredible woman. The love and support that she showed her husband was heart warming. The advances that she took and the differences that she made speak for themselves. She was a strong, beautiful woman, it’s such a shame she had such misfortune.
This was one of the saddest, yet most inspiring stories I have read for a number of reason. The first thought that popped into my mind was why did it have to be one of the few examples of morally good celebrities? There are so many jerks out there that it did not seem fair.
This story was inspiring for a number of reasons. It showed me that even with tragedy the best can be brought out in people. She could have left Chris had she wanted to. But she stayed with him until he died. Not only that, but she started a foundation after him and raised millions of dollars. Unfortunately she died, but don’t always the best of heroes?
Sorry if this is a double post, it didn’t seem to take the first time…Dana is an amazing woman and her love for him is unbelievable. We should all be so lucky.
Well.. I wouldn’t call her a hero, like the reason she said herself, namely that there are lots of people like this. I think we forget that people who ditch their paralyzed wife/husband, are a minority (or so I hope).
basically:
A hero is someone with moral conscience, that fights for the greater good, while being outnumbered by people who do bad stuff (villains).
I wouln’t put her in the category of a hero like superman and figures like that but I would group her in how I view my parents as heroes. Selflessness and committment is how I view my parents as heroes and here she shows just that. I love the line at the end, “it is the tragic circumstances often beget heroes who seize the heroic moment.” Although sad, becauase she lived such a selfless life, but her legacy will live on, making her a hero in my mind.
Dana Reeve is an inspiration due to her undying commitment to her husband. She made a commitment to him, through sickness and in health, and stuck by that unlike many people these days do. She is an inspiring hero based on the fact that she showed the world that life is worth fighting for, even after it seems everything has been taken away from you. I would hope we all can learn from her and live our lives with a little more compassion.
I had never heard of Dana Reeve before, but her story is truly touching and shows that heroes don’t need to make any grand gestures or try to save the world = they simply have to care. Reeve’s love that started out as directed completely to her husband ended up spiraling to a compassion for all people in similar situations, and that is what inspired her to start the Christopher Reeve Foundation. Reeve’s story can teach us a lot about heroes, and one of the best lessons is that when faced with trying situations, rather than take the easy route of feeling self-pity and helplessness, people can really use their emotions as fuel in helping make a change.
It takes a lot to be loyal to the people you love, especially in times of adversity. Dana Reeve stood by her husband, Christopher Reeve, after his horse riding accident. I value her faithfulness because I do beleive that people do not value the sacredness of marriage in the United States, to the extent that they should. When one gets married, the couple is supposed to stay loyal to each other in sickness and in health. It is one thing to say it, and it is another thing to do it. Dana Reeve sacrificed so much for Christopher Reeve, and it is absolutely beautiful to me.
Dana Reeve is a true hero for the unconditional love and support she gave to Christopher Reeve. Her selflessness and compassion are inspiring, especially since she was faced with such immense challenges. It’s senseless and heartbreaking that after everything she did to love and support her husband during his life after his accident, that she became fatally ill. Still, Dana Reeve was a remarkable woman, taking a horrifying tragedy and fighting against it with courage, love, and compassion.