September 13, 1995
WEST ORANGE, New Jersey (CNN) -- Christopher Reeve's doctor expressed little hope Wednesday that the actor will recover further from the horse-riding accident several months ago that left his mobility severely limited.
"I am not very optimistic," Reeve's doctor, Marca Sipski, said when asked whether Reeve will regain any more muscle movement than he already has. The doctor and Reeve's wife, Dana, spoke at a news conference at his rehabilitiation facility, The Kessler Institute in West Orange. Sipski said Reeve is experimenting with new technology, including voice- operated computers and various ventilators, that will help him maneuver comfortably.
Dana Reeve said her husband keeps active even though he is still on a ventilator. "Chris spends much of his day conducting his own brand of therapy," she said. He visits with friends, family and other patients and most recently has become actively involved with work and some of the causes he supports, she said.
In addition, "he's in contact with his agents at William Morris about the possibility of directing jobs (and) speaking engagements, and he has accepted a seat on the board of the American Paralysis Association to fight for funding of neurological research," she said.
Although Reeve will not leave the Kessler Institute until the end of the year, he is planning to make his first public appearance October 18 at an annual benefit for the Creative Coalition, a group of writers, producers and actors who support various liberal causes.
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