15 Exploring these issues is difficult, as no one wants to be perceived
as criticizing patient groups. In particular, researchers say that they owe
an immense debt of gratitude to the Hollywood star Christopher Reeve,
40 who was paralysed in a horse-riding accident in 1995. His public
determination to recover - and his inspirational support of the science
that might help him to - has drawn millions of dollars into research,
both directly through the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and
indirectly through government budgets.