Christopher Reeve Commencement Speech

Christopher Reeve Commencement Speech
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
May 10, 2002

Dean Peck, members of the faculty, the administration and most of all the graduating class. It's a real privilege for me to be here, and it's also a chance for me to take this opportunity to prove that I am still alive. And I'll tell you why. A couple of nights ago, I was at home and the phone rang, and it was my publicist calling saying that there had been calls from AP, UPI, Reuters, CBS, FOX, CNN, etc., etc. reporting that I died. Sô? I'm just?for anybody here who cares?I'd just like you to know I'm alivê?thank you very much. Thank you. What is kind of fascinating about the press is that they didn't take a name or phone number of whoever it was that planted this rumor. We can't figure out where it came from?unless it was Senator Brownback's officê?but more about that later. It's very curious that the press wants a story but they don't really care about all of the reasons. They just want to know, "Is there a story. Is he dead? Is he alive? Is he dead? Is he alive? Is it worth sending a truck? Okay never mind." Just sort of interesting how the press works.

I'm glad to be here because I have a special, really a reverence for doctors that I never thought I would have. I've also, in the last seven years, seen many more doctors of various descriptions than I ever thought I would in my life. All of them have been just incredible. Beginning with Dr. John Jane?, the great neurosurgeon of Virginia who literally saved my life. He performed an amazing surgery reattaching my head to the top of my spinal column. He had to because the C1 had been totally demolished ?" an absolutely amazing, groundbreaking operation. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here talking to you today. Also, we have doctors in our family. I remember when my sister in law, Deborah, was going through med school. We were all very excited because we thought with this, once she graduates and does her residency, there will be free medical care. She's going to be perhaps a pediatrician. That would be great or maybe an internist. That'd be fine too. And then she decided to be a pathologist. And I said I don't want to see her. Don't let me come your way. The whole range of what all the doctors, the nurses, all the people who have come into my life, have given me just a new appreciation for what it is that you do. And today marks an amazing day in your life. When I think about the dedication, the sacrifice, the hard work, the years and years that it took you to get to today. The sacrifices your families made. The loans, you know, that you're going to be trying to pay off for years. You know, it's just something that as a patient, you know I sit here, and I'm often very frustrated b/c politics gets in the way of advancing medical science in this country as quickly as it could go. I go, 'Why? Why? Why do we have to make research, science, medicine, the best care for patients, why do we have to make that political? Why do we have to base it on the bottom line for companies? Where is the idealism that should form medicine? It is right here in this room with all of you who are about to graduate, and I just salute you for that b/c your idealism about becoming doctors that is what gives me hope because I know that you're not in this for the money. That's not going to happen. Not in this day and age. Maybe before the 80s, before HMOS, but not anymore. And that is great. The fact that you would make the sacrifice of so much time, so much of your personal lives and go through this just because of your compassion for your fellow human beings. That means more to me than you will ever know. And one thing that you should really try to hold on to for as long as you possibly can is the idealism that I think you really feel in your hearts today. The fact that you've gone through college, gone through med school, and you're going to go onto a match up someplace to be an intern and work 100 hours a week. Be on call 24 hours a day. Make almost nothing. You're going to go through all of that. And then finally end up in a career that will be your life's calling. And along the way it may be easy to become jaded or to become very frustrated by the way that the system works. And I urge you to hang on to the feelings that you have today about what you've accomplished and what your role in our society can be b/c you're doing the right thing and there are a lot of people in our society who aren't doing the right thing. And I believe that for us to go forward as a society right now there's a big crisis. There's a crisis of confidence, a crisis of honesty a crisis of doing the right thing.

I don't want to turn this into a political forum, but I do have to ask questions that are very troubling. I'm just going to give you one as an example. As you know, in the 1970s, American scientists were working on in vitro fertilization, but the buzz word, "test tube babies,' got around and there was a conservative backlash that caused the government to stop NIH research until an advisory commission could be formed to study ethics. In the meantime, over in England, they proceeded, and in 1978 the first test tube baby was born not in America but in England. And then finally following suit and seeing that it was accepted practice in other countries the first American test tube baby was born in 1981. Today there are 400 infertility clinics in the country and 178,000 Americans walking around who were conceived in a test tube and it's totally routine practice.

So my problem is that what we fear today may very well become commonplace tomorrow. And in the case of in vitro fertilization, it wasn't that serious b/c we weren't talking about life or death but the whole issue of where we're going with research is life and death. For example, Senator Brownback of Kansas has introduced a bill to be voted on in the next 10 days, which would not only ban all forms of cloning but actually criminalize it. So I could go to the UK, and I could come back walking and be arrested in the airport. That's absurd?just absolutely absurd. I follow very closely what he has said on the subject and he was asked by Senator Harkin in a hearing, "What do you think about in vitro fertilization clinics?' And he said, "I have no problem with them. Many of my friends have had fine children that way. It's fine by me.' Senator Harkin said, 'You're aware, of course, that at least a third or maybe more of the excess fertilized embryos from these clinics are routinely thrown in the garbage. They're thrown away.' Senator Brownback said, 'I believe a great majority of them are put up for adoption.' Well, let me tell you something. First of all, just in the state of Kansas, there's a no adoption policy. And in the last 21 years, only 100 fertilized embryos have been adopted by another couple. And yet, Senator Brownback is forming legislation that describes the little cluster of cells that is an unfertilized egg, just the zygotes, that would have its nucleus removed and then the DNA from the patient put in the process of somatic cell transfer. He calls that little clump of cells an individual. So I have a big problem with that because therapeutic cloning is still in its infancy, but it has such promise. Not to encourage that research responsibly may result in a lot of people dying unnecessarily and keep a lot of people in wheelchairs longer than they need to. And countries all around the world are grappling with the issue and deciding that the purpose of government is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and that you can regulate cloning, ban reproductive cloning and live up to our obligation to provide the best medical technology to our citizens. So sitting here as a patient when you have a legislature who doesn't' know or turns a blind eye to the destruction of fertilized embryos, that says that a clump of cells is an individual, I really have a problem with that. I really have a problem. And the reason I bring this up is because I'm struggling to keep up my hope and the hope for patients like me and almost any other disease that you can think of.

I originally thought that progress would depend on money and bringing enough scientists into the field, particularly in the case of neuroscience to advance spinal cord repair. I thought that was going to be the issue, but it's not. We do have money. The NIH budget next year will be 27.2 billion dollars. When I was injured the budget was 12 billion dollars. And yet, we still have a problem because even though scientists are pouring into the field, their hands are tied by government policy and by the long delay in dealing with stem cells and therapeutic cloning, and frankly, we don't have the time to wait. We just don't have the time to wait. The more people who come into the field with the mission of doing the best for their patients and realizing that religion is not to be confused with government policy, that it doesn't' belong in the middle of government policy? It's tough b/c it has sort of turned out that way in this country. But we have to change that, and we have to let scientists speak about science. And we have to let scientists advance the most groundbreaking technology that will help their fellow citizens. And so my hope is that all of you, whatever your political persuasions are, whatever your religious persuasions are, whatever your own personal feelings are, again, that idealism that you have today about service, about what medicine means, about what you can do, please don't lose that. Please don't lose that in the middle of your path as you go on in life because we need pure medicine. We need the best medicine. We need ethical behavior, ethical conduct but doctors are ethical. Their conduct is monitored. I believe in doctors. I have the greatest admiration and reverence for doctors. Now we've just got to get out of the way and let you guys do your work. Thank you so much for being willing to take the journey that you're taking and for doing that work. I applaud each and every one of you and thank you for making it and if there's anything that I can ever do to help, or if you guys ever want to be in touch to talk about issues, I can always be reached at the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

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July 1, 2003

Read Christopher Reeve's Speech to the Graduating Class of Ohio State University.
"President Holbrook, Chairman Sofia and the Board of Trustees, distinguished Faculty, Graduates and honored Guests:
"Before I begin, you should know that I have enjoyed watching Ohio State football on television for many years, but I never knew what a buckeye was. I always assumed it was a common name for a species of a little known but dangerous wild animal. I recently learned that it?s just a tree. At first glance, it appears to be useless: the wood doesn?t burn well, the bark smells, and the meat of the nut is bitter and mildly toxic. Yet it grows where others cannot, it?s difficult to kill, and adapts to its circumstances. So much for first impressions.
"I am extremely honored to address more than 5,000 of you who are graduating from the bachelors, masters and doctoral programs of OSU. I wanted to be here today to pay tribute to the longstanding ideals of the University: compassion for our fellow human beings, the aspiration to be champions in all arenas of life, and the desire to make a difference.
"This year marks the 133rd anniversary of Ohio State. A quick survey of just a few recent accomplishments shows that the vision of Joseph Sullivant, a member of the Board when the University was founded, has been realized far beyond his expectations. The Diversity Action Plan, which charts the course for OSU to become a model of diversity in higher education, was formulated two years ago. The new Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in the Americas will bring in scholars from around the world to examine issues of racial inequality. The University is ranked in the top 5 in granting doctorate degrees to African-Americans; it has been selected as one of the country?s 50 best colleges for African-Americans by Black Enterprise magazine; it is also listed among the top 20 institutions for granting doctoral degrees to native Americans and native Alaskans.
"At OSU, students and faculty understand the importance of public service on both a local and global scale. Some focus on the environment, others on community outreach among many other programs. Students in the College of Engineering recently achieved a speed of 241 mph in the Buckeye Bullet Electric Car. (Can I put in a request for them to work on my wheelchair?) Students in the Civil Engineering program placed first in a national competition to design a better road pavement using recycled materials. Participants in the Learning Bridge bring the educational resources of Ohio State to meet the needs of public schools that serve the university neighborhoods. The Family Nutrition Program brings vital information about food safety and nutrition to nearly 92,000 people. This year alone, students in the College of Social Work provided 215,000 hours of service to the central Ohio community. Doctors and scientists at the Ohio State Medical School are among the most respected in the nation, consistently ranking among the leading recipients of research funding from the NIH. And that?s just the tip of the iceberg.
"I salute these Points of Pride to congratulate you for your outstanding achievements. But I also want to sound a note of caution as you leave this sanctuary of learning, self-discovery, and ethical conduct to make your way in the outside world.
"You have been taught to work hard, not to cheat, and balance your own advancement with service to others. But when you look beyond this campus, you witness seemingly endless examples of questionable conduct in government, religion, business, the media, and even sports. Our intelligence agencies are being challenged to explain their recommendation for the invasion of Iraq. The Catholic Church is embroiled in a crisis of misconduct and cover-ups. CEOs of major corporations are facing fines and imprisonment for their greed at the expense of the employees who helped create their success. The reputation of one of the most respected newspapers in the country has been severely damaged by a reporter who could not resist plagiarizing in his zeal *****cceed. Even the achievements of one of our favorite baseball players will probably be eclipsed by controversy over his use of an illegal bat.
"The challenge before you will be to maintain your integrity in a culture that has devalued it. You will have to bring your own personal and professional ethics with you on the journey when you leave here today, because you may not find anyone to guide you. Living a moral life in an indifferent world is likely to be more difficult than you can imagine. How will you succeed?
"The answer may be found in a few simple words written by Abe Lincoln: 'When I do good I feel good. When I do bad I feel bad. And that?s my religion.' All of us have a voice inside that will speak to us if we let it. Sometimes it?s easy to hear; sometimes we have to turn down the volume of the distracting noise around us so we can listen. That voice tells us if we are on the right track. It lets us know if we give as much as we take, if we welcome the opinions of others, and at least accept diversity even if we are not able to embrace it.
"As you go forward, hopefully that inner voice will remind you of some of the Points of Pride that bring such distinction to OSU. You?ll discover that you can go far by being conscientious, but you will go farther and find true satisfaction by being conscious. If you have already achieved self-awareness and set specific goals for yourself, that?s fine. If you don?t know who you are or what to do next, don?t worry about it. Your life shouldn?t run on a schedule, and you may go down some dead end streets until you find the right road. Don?t be afraid to question assumptions you may have lived with since childhood. Take your time and seek true independence as you search for meaning and fulfillment.
"Perhaps the greatest reward for living a conscious life is that it prepares you to cope with adversity. If you are open to change and new experiences, if you are accustomed to self-discipline, if you respect others and nurture your relationships, then you will have built a solid platform that will support you and help you deal with anything that comes your way. I?m not saying all of that is easy. But sitting here today I can honestly tell you that you don?t need to break your neck to learn the value of living consciously. I was lucky to grow up unthreatened by change and eager for new experiences. Thirty years as an actor before my injury taught me self-discipline and helped me cope with rejection and failure. My marriage and my relationships with friends and family were alive and well before the accident; since then they have grown even stronger and given me the ability to recover and go forward.
"That catastrophic event also changed my perspective about other things in life. Outside of my circle of family and friends, I didn?t appreciate others nearly as much as I do now. Once I trained with actual paraplegics to portray one in a film. Every evening as I drove away from the rehab center I quickly pushed those suffering patients out of my mind, relieved that I was not one of them. Less than a year later I became paralyzed myself. Did I need to learn something about compassion and humility? No doubt about it.
"It was not until I was immersed in my own rehabilitation that I realized an apparent tragedy had created a unique opportunity. Spinal cord patients like the ones I once dismissed were now in the next room, traveling down the same hallways, and struggling right beside me in physical therapy. I came to know people of all ages and from all walks of life that I would otherwise never even have met. For all our differences, what we had in common was our disability and the desire to find a reason to hope. I was inspired by so many and gradually discovered that I had been given a job that would create urgency and a new direction in my life: I could do something to help.
"Thanks to the education you have received here at Ohio State and the ideals that guide this distinguished university, you have already learned some of the most important principles you will ever need to know: compassion for our fellow human beings, the aspiration to be champions in all arenas of life, and the desire to make a difference. To all of you leaving today I can only say, on behalf of all those who will look to you for guidance and leadership, take those principles with you and hold them close.
"Congratulations on all your achievements. I wish you the best of luck."