The death of Christopher Reeve will not stop efforts to find a cure for paralysis, predicted Ianthia Wade yesterday.

Mr. Reeve, who died last week of heart failure, used his celebrity status to provide greater visibility for the handicapped and founded a foundation to fund research for paralysis treatments and cures.

The actor, director and activist was paralysed from the neck down due to spinal cord injury sustained in a 1995 equestrian competition.

"It was quite a shock because I don't think anyone knew he was unwell," said Ms Wade administrator of Summerhaven.

She said that Mr. Reeve's celebrity profile heightened awareness of issues facing the handicapped in Bermuda as well as around the world.

"For some reason we look at actors as being special and important so because he was an actor his appeal was much greater," she said.

"In terms of Bermuda, I think many of the things he did impacted on people's sensitivity to the physically disabled and physically challenged. It's just unfortunate that people have a tendency unless it impacts on them directly they don't have an appreciation of the challenges they face on a day to day basis."

She added: "I really don't think his death would lead to things stopping. He set up a number of foundations to look at stem cell research and to develop something that will result in spinal cord regeneration. These foundations will not stop based on his dying and there are a number of people who are truly committed to helping the disabled... He wanted to walk again - he wasn't satisfied with paralysis. He never gave up hope that he would walk again and that was his true commitment and that was the purpose of the foundation."

Disabled campaigner Willard Fox said that he was most bothered by the fact that Mr. Reeve's death occurred while he was being treated for a pressure wound.

The wound became severely infected leading to a systemic infection. Mr. Reeve's went into a coma and suffered cardiac arrest on October 10. "Superman died and a bed sore killed him," said Mr. Fox. "That bothers me. If someone had given him the care he needed he would never have died the way he did." He predicted that research for a paralysis cure would slow down as a result of Mr. Reeve's death.

"He got attention because he is a star... I really don't know what the impact would be locally.