Joan Irvine Smith
CR tribute from JIS
October 12, 2004
Dear Os, In May 1995, actor Christopher Reeve, famous for his roles as Superman, shattered two neck vertebrae and was paralyzed when he was thrown from his horse during the cross-country jumping phase of a three-day event in Culpeper , Virginia . After seeing several of his interviews on television, I was very impressed with his and his wife Dana's courage and perseverance, and with Christopher's exceptional ability to communicate with people. I also took notice that in his interviews, he never blamed his horse for the accident. Because of my longtime involvement in equestrian jumping competition and fox hunting, I was certainly aware that this type of accident could happen to anyone who rides. Although the principal causes of spinal cord trauma are violent crime, traffic accidents and sports injuries such as occur in diving, surfing, cycling and football, I kept thinking, there but by the grace of God go I or my children or my grandchildren. On October 20, 1995, when I attended the ground-breaking of the William J. Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility at the University of California at Irvine, I told Dr. Tom Cesario, Dean of the Medical School, and then-Chancellor Dr. Laura Wilkening, I thought Christopher Reeve would be a terrific spokesman for the research that UCI was doing with regard to spinal cord injuries and disease. I also told them at that time, that the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation would put up $1 million toward a Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UCI. Shortly thereafter, Dan Wyan of Horse World, who did the television coverage for the equestrian jumping events held at my facility, The Oaks, in San Juan Capistrano, contacted me and told me he wanted to get an introduction to Christopher Reeve because Horse World wanted to do a television interview with him in which he could reassure children not to be afraid to ride just because of his accident. At that time, I told Dan that our foundation would put up $1 million toward a Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UCI for spinal cord injuries. Dan said this was the "hook" he needed, and he gave me the name of Christopher Reeve's assistant Michael Manganello, who was at the Kessler Institute in New Jersey with Christopher while he was undergoing physical therapy there. I then wrote to Christopher and indicated that the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation wished to give one million dollars for a spinal cord injury research center at UCI if he would be our spokesperson. About ten days later, I received a call from Michael who told me that Christopher had received my letter but because he did not know me or of the University of California at Irvine , had placed it in the pile that he termed "kook mail." A few days later, Michael told him that he should take a look at that letter from Mrs. Smith as it was for a $1 million donation. When Christopher did read the letter, he asked Michael to call me. It took a number of phone calls to convince Christopher that although the University of California at Irvine was on the west coast, it was nevertheless a very prestigious institution and a national leader in neurological research. At first, Christopher was not sure that he could physically handle the task, however, after I told him "Yesterday, you played Superman, today you can be Superman," he decided that he would try to do it. On January 10, 1996, we held a joint press conference at UCI announcing that I was joining with actor Christopher Reeve, the American Paralysis Association and the UCI College of Medicine in forming the Reeve-Irvine Research Center for spinal cord injuries and disease, with the goal of finding a cure for paralysis. Dr. Cesario further announced that the center would be housed at UCI's developing center for health sciences. Christopher Reeve, who spoke to the gathered media by speaker-phone from his home on the east coast, said "I want to express my thanks to Joan Irvine Smith for this amazing and stunning act of generosity. It's proof of what can be accomplished by the private sector." I spoke briefly to Christopher during the event, saying "horse people stick together," and further stating that I was overwhelmed by his tremendous courage when I saw him interviewed after the accident. " Providence dealt you a terrific blow," I told him, "but she gave you the gift to touch the heart. Yesterday, you played Superman, today you are Superman." Most research in 1996 was focused at preventing and limiting neurological damage at the time of injury and little had been done to explore ways of mitigating and reversing damage once it had occurred. In contrast, treatment of the chronically afflicted patient was the initial area of research conducted at the Center. This research also benefited individuals struggling with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and other diseases involving neurological dysfunction. Today, the Reeve-Irvine Research Center (RIRC), chaired by Dr. Oswald Steward, is housed in the William J. Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility, in the UCI Biomedical Research Center . In order to stimulate and encourage research efforts, our foundation funds the Reeve-Irvine Research Medal with a $50,000 cash prize that is presented annually to the researcher who makes the most gains in the field. In addition to Dr. Steward, two additional faculty members were recruited to the Center in 2000 and 2001, Hans Keirstead, Ph.D. and Aileen Anderson, Ph.D. According to Dr. Steward, "Recent scientific accomplishments have provided a basis for hope for new therapies to reduce the level of disability, promote recovery of function, and even stimulate actual nervous system regeneration, even in individuals with long-standing injuries. To capitalize on this potential, the goals of the RIRC were to create a research enterprise that bridged across disciplines, promoted collaborations, and allowed a fusion of the host of biomedical approaches that offer promise. Research related to spinal cord injury ranges from molecular and cellular studies, including studies with stem cells, studies on synthetic biological compounds, tissue and bio-engineering, gene therapy, and molecular modeling. In the end, all new therapeutic approaches must be tested in animal models of spinal cord injury, yet it is not efficient, or for that matter even possible, for every lab to undertake the full range of studies. Accordingly, spinal cord injury research, perhaps more than any other clinically-relevant research focus, requires cooperation and coordination across individual investigators and laboratories." "In the five years since its establishment, the RIRC has developed research programs that focus on basic cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the response of the nervous system to injury, focusing especially on mechanisms underlying axon regeneration and the use of human stem cells for therapeutic applications. The three principal investigators (Steward, Keirstead, and Anderson) have attracted grants that now total over $1.5 million per year for basic research funding. Grants to Dr. Steward support basic research to discover ways to promote nerve regeneration following spinal cord injury. Grants to Dr. Keirstead and Dr. Anderson focus on the use of stem cells for nervous system repair. These projects are collaborative ventures with different biotechnology companies who are developing either human embryonic stem cells (in the Keirstead project) or human fetal stem cells (in the Anderson project) for potential use in treating disorders resulting from spinal cord and brain injury. The strategy may also prove to be useful for treating neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease." Dr. Tom Cesario, Dean of UCI Medical School, explains, "Stem cells are special cells that retain the characteristics of very basic cells found in early states of the embryo that can differentiate into a variety of different tissues and different organs. As such, they offer an enormous potential to reconstitute damaged organs. Stem cells can be safely prepared, without crossing ethical barriers, from a variety of sources including human blood, the placenta, or from fetal tissues used at the time of in vitro fertilization that have been declared unwanted These cells, when properly prepared, can be used to repair key damaged organs. For example, they can be used in the bone marrow if, for some reason, disease has damaged the ability to produce red cells or white cells. In this situation, they could conceivably be lifesaving. Additionally, they could permit aggressive use of chemotherapy to treat cancer patients. Many chemotherapeutic drugs are toxic and are limited in their use because of their potential to damage the bone marrow. If ways were available to reconstitute bone marrow with stem cells, it would allow us to more aggressively treat cancer patients in a simpler way than now-used bone marrow transplantation. Similarly, diseases of the central nervous system recharge the degenerative nature of Alzheimer's disease, possibly Parkinson's disease or traumatic diseases including those brought out by damage to the blood vessels such as stroke, could potentially be ameliorated by the use of stem cell transplants. Additionally, damaged hearts, which have been injured through the process of myocardial infarction, or better known as heart attack, could be repaired through the use of appropriate injections of stem cells." "With all of these various considerations in mind, it is key to move forward to investigating the potential of stem cells to know where they may be of benefit and where their application would be of limited or no value. Much of the stem cell studies to date have been done in other animal systems. What are badly needed now are further studies on human stem cells. Again, appropriately collected stem cells, collected under the strictness of moral and ethical guidelines, can and must be studied to determine their value in the diseases such as those mentioned above. Indeed, given the potential of stem cells, it seems that it would be immoral and unethical not to better understand what the potential is in easing human suffering. In order to accomplish this, we will need both private and public support." My good friend, Christopher Reeve, died on October 10, 2004, at his New York home from heart failure due to complications from an infection. His relentless efforts to find a cure for spinal cord injury and disease truly made him a legend in his own time. A prominent and forceful advocate for expanding embryonic stem cell research, Christopher was a critic of President Bush's 2001 decision to limit federal funding to existing stem cell lines. In testimony before the U.S. Senate he said: "While we prolong the stem cell debate, millions continue to suffer. We must harness the power of the government and go forward." Although Christopher is gone, he will not die, for he will live in the hearts of those he loved and left behind and through the UCI Reeve-Irvine Research Center 's pursuit of his dream to find a cure for spinal cord injury and disease. Sincerely,
Joan Irvine Smith
October 12, 2004
Dear Os, In May 1995, actor Christopher Reeve, famous for his roles as Superman, shattered two neck vertebrae and was paralyzed when he was thrown from his horse during the cross-country jumping phase of a three-day event in Culpeper , Virginia . After seeing several of his interviews on television, I was very impressed with his and his wife Dana's courage and perseverance, and with Christopher's exceptional ability to communicate with people. I also took notice that in his interviews, he never blamed his horse for the accident. Because of my longtime involvement in equestrian jumping competition and fox hunting, I was certainly aware that this type of accident could happen to anyone who rides. Although the principal causes of spinal cord trauma are violent crime, traffic accidents and sports injuries such as occur in diving, surfing, cycling and football, I kept thinking, there but by the grace of God go I or my children or my grandchildren. On October 20, 1995, when I attended the ground-breaking of the William J. Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility at the University of California at Irvine, I told Dr. Tom Cesario, Dean of the Medical School, and then-Chancellor Dr. Laura Wilkening, I thought Christopher Reeve would be a terrific spokesman for the research that UCI was doing with regard to spinal cord injuries and disease. I also told them at that time, that the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation would put up $1 million toward a Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UCI. Shortly thereafter, Dan Wyan of Horse World, who did the television coverage for the equestrian jumping events held at my facility, The Oaks, in San Juan Capistrano, contacted me and told me he wanted to get an introduction to Christopher Reeve because Horse World wanted to do a television interview with him in which he could reassure children not to be afraid to ride just because of his accident. At that time, I told Dan that our foundation would put up $1 million toward a Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UCI for spinal cord injuries. Dan said this was the "hook" he needed, and he gave me the name of Christopher Reeve's assistant Michael Manganello, who was at the Kessler Institute in New Jersey with Christopher while he was undergoing physical therapy there. I then wrote to Christopher and indicated that the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation wished to give one million dollars for a spinal cord injury research center at UCI if he would be our spokesperson. About ten days later, I received a call from Michael who told me that Christopher had received my letter but because he did not know me or of the University of California at Irvine , had placed it in the pile that he termed "kook mail." A few days later, Michael told him that he should take a look at that letter from Mrs. Smith as it was for a $1 million donation. When Christopher did read the letter, he asked Michael to call me. It took a number of phone calls to convince Christopher that although the University of California at Irvine was on the west coast, it was nevertheless a very prestigious institution and a national leader in neurological research. At first, Christopher was not sure that he could physically handle the task, however, after I told him "Yesterday, you played Superman, today you can be Superman," he decided that he would try to do it. On January 10, 1996, we held a joint press conference at UCI announcing that I was joining with actor Christopher Reeve, the American Paralysis Association and the UCI College of Medicine in forming the Reeve-Irvine Research Center for spinal cord injuries and disease, with the goal of finding a cure for paralysis. Dr. Cesario further announced that the center would be housed at UCI's developing center for health sciences. Christopher Reeve, who spoke to the gathered media by speaker-phone from his home on the east coast, said "I want to express my thanks to Joan Irvine Smith for this amazing and stunning act of generosity. It's proof of what can be accomplished by the private sector." I spoke briefly to Christopher during the event, saying "horse people stick together," and further stating that I was overwhelmed by his tremendous courage when I saw him interviewed after the accident. " Providence dealt you a terrific blow," I told him, "but she gave you the gift to touch the heart. Yesterday, you played Superman, today you are Superman." Most research in 1996 was focused at preventing and limiting neurological damage at the time of injury and little had been done to explore ways of mitigating and reversing damage once it had occurred. In contrast, treatment of the chronically afflicted patient was the initial area of research conducted at the Center. This research also benefited individuals struggling with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and other diseases involving neurological dysfunction. Today, the Reeve-Irvine Research Center (RIRC), chaired by Dr. Oswald Steward, is housed in the William J. Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility, in the UCI Biomedical Research Center . In order to stimulate and encourage research efforts, our foundation funds the Reeve-Irvine Research Medal with a $50,000 cash prize that is presented annually to the researcher who makes the most gains in the field. In addition to Dr. Steward, two additional faculty members were recruited to the Center in 2000 and 2001, Hans Keirstead, Ph.D. and Aileen Anderson, Ph.D. According to Dr. Steward, "Recent scientific accomplishments have provided a basis for hope for new therapies to reduce the level of disability, promote recovery of function, and even stimulate actual nervous system regeneration, even in individuals with long-standing injuries. To capitalize on this potential, the goals of the RIRC were to create a research enterprise that bridged across disciplines, promoted collaborations, and allowed a fusion of the host of biomedical approaches that offer promise. Research related to spinal cord injury ranges from molecular and cellular studies, including studies with stem cells, studies on synthetic biological compounds, tissue and bio-engineering, gene therapy, and molecular modeling. In the end, all new therapeutic approaches must be tested in animal models of spinal cord injury, yet it is not efficient, or for that matter even possible, for every lab to undertake the full range of studies. Accordingly, spinal cord injury research, perhaps more than any other clinically-relevant research focus, requires cooperation and coordination across individual investigators and laboratories." "In the five years since its establishment, the RIRC has developed research programs that focus on basic cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the response of the nervous system to injury, focusing especially on mechanisms underlying axon regeneration and the use of human stem cells for therapeutic applications. The three principal investigators (Steward, Keirstead, and Anderson) have attracted grants that now total over $1.5 million per year for basic research funding. Grants to Dr. Steward support basic research to discover ways to promote nerve regeneration following spinal cord injury. Grants to Dr. Keirstead and Dr. Anderson focus on the use of stem cells for nervous system repair. These projects are collaborative ventures with different biotechnology companies who are developing either human embryonic stem cells (in the Keirstead project) or human fetal stem cells (in the Anderson project) for potential use in treating disorders resulting from spinal cord and brain injury. The strategy may also prove to be useful for treating neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease." Dr. Tom Cesario, Dean of UCI Medical School, explains, "Stem cells are special cells that retain the characteristics of very basic cells found in early states of the embryo that can differentiate into a variety of different tissues and different organs. As such, they offer an enormous potential to reconstitute damaged organs. Stem cells can be safely prepared, without crossing ethical barriers, from a variety of sources including human blood, the placenta, or from fetal tissues used at the time of in vitro fertilization that have been declared unwanted These cells, when properly prepared, can be used to repair key damaged organs. For example, they can be used in the bone marrow if, for some reason, disease has damaged the ability to produce red cells or white cells. In this situation, they could conceivably be lifesaving. Additionally, they could permit aggressive use of chemotherapy to treat cancer patients. Many chemotherapeutic drugs are toxic and are limited in their use because of their potential to damage the bone marrow. If ways were available to reconstitute bone marrow with stem cells, it would allow us to more aggressively treat cancer patients in a simpler way than now-used bone marrow transplantation. Similarly, diseases of the central nervous system recharge the degenerative nature of Alzheimer's disease, possibly Parkinson's disease or traumatic diseases including those brought out by damage to the blood vessels such as stroke, could potentially be ameliorated by the use of stem cell transplants. Additionally, damaged hearts, which have been injured through the process of myocardial infarction, or better known as heart attack, could be repaired through the use of appropriate injections of stem cells." "With all of these various considerations in mind, it is key to move forward to investigating the potential of stem cells to know where they may be of benefit and where their application would be of limited or no value. Much of the stem cell studies to date have been done in other animal systems. What are badly needed now are further studies on human stem cells. Again, appropriately collected stem cells, collected under the strictness of moral and ethical guidelines, can and must be studied to determine their value in the diseases such as those mentioned above. Indeed, given the potential of stem cells, it seems that it would be immoral and unethical not to better understand what the potential is in easing human suffering. In order to accomplish this, we will need both private and public support." My good friend, Christopher Reeve, died on October 10, 2004, at his New York home from heart failure due to complications from an infection. His relentless efforts to find a cure for spinal cord injury and disease truly made him a legend in his own time. A prominent and forceful advocate for expanding embryonic stem cell research, Christopher was a critic of President Bush's 2001 decision to limit federal funding to existing stem cell lines. In testimony before the U.S. Senate he said: "While we prolong the stem cell debate, millions continue to suffer. We must harness the power of the government and go forward." Although Christopher is gone, he will not die, for he will live in the hearts of those he loved and left behind and through the UCI Reeve-Irvine Research Center 's pursuit of his dream to find a cure for spinal cord injury and disease. Sincerely,
Joan Irvine Smith