For Christopher Reeve's son Will, grief never dies, but 'healing is possible'

Will Reeve's tragedy is of a kind that seems fictional. And yet the 32-year-old ABC News and "Good Morning America" correspondent manages to (mostly) float above it.

"I was born to a famous dad who was then paralyzed and in a wheelchair, who then died. And then my mom, who was a public figure by then, got lung cancer after never having smoked, and then died, all by the time I’m 13," says Reeve. "That’s abnormal."

Reeve of course is speaking of his father, famed "Superman" star Christopher Reeve, and his mother, Dana, whose remarkable stories are told in the new documentary "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" (in select theatersSaturday, followed by an encore presentation on Christopher Reeve’s birthday, Sept. 25).

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Although Reeve's 1995 horse riding accident left him paralyzed, he and his wife Dana became tireless advocates for people with disabilities. The actor died in 2004 at age 52, leaving behind Will as well as two adult children, Matthew, now 44, and Alexandra, 40, from a 10-year relationship with British modeling executive Gae Exton.

Two years later, Dana Reeve was planning a return to singing but a nagging cough kept derailing her rehearsals. That cough was Stage 4 lung cancer; she died in 2006 at 44. Will, newly a teenager, went to live with neighbors who quickly became surrogate parents.

Reeve acknowledges there are days when anger surfaces. But mostly, he wants you to know how grateful he is.

"In that short window of time I got with my parents, they raised me in a normal, human, grounded way, which, mostly, gives me a sane approach to everything that life throws at you," he says in a video call, flashing a dazzling smile that instantly summons his father.

Famous friends and indelible home movies help the Christopher Reeve documentary 'Super/Man' soar

As shown in "Super/Man," the older Reeve kids have many memories of their athletic, competitive father challenging them at hockey and skiing. But Will Reeve only knew that side of his dad − whose four star turns as Superman arguably ignited our big-screen love affair with superheroes − on celluloid.

As a result, the tot was especially close to his mother, who when not tirelessly doting on her husband carted Will to endless playdates and sporting events. Then, she vanished.

"Sometimes I handle things well, and sometimes four-letter words exist for a reason," Will Reeve allows.

Reeve, along with his siblings, has been doing countless interviews for "Super/Man," which first caused a stir at Sundance Film Festival last January. Is it hard to constantly relive this painful past?

"Talking about my parents keeps them with me," he says. "I’m so proud to be their son, to be part of this family. To reintroduce my parents to people who loved them, and to show off my parents to a new generation who might not be familiar with their story. Honestly, it's just a privilege that we can carry them with us into this future that so needs heroes."

Reeve says he has no advice for those going through a tragedy. But he insists there is healing after loss.

"Those five stages of grief are there, from denial to acceptance, but the sixth stage I’ve learned is healing and we can all get there," he says. "Grief is permanent but healing is possible. That is a mantra for me. I try to honor them by how I live and treat other people."

Will Reeve on what 'Superman' dad Christopher Reeve would have thought of his Emmy red carpet gig

How Reeve treats other people is on national display these days. After graduating from Middlebury College and interning at "GMA," Reeve, a sports nut like his father, worked at ESPN's SportsCenter before joining ABC in 2018. (He's also on the board of directors, along with his siblings, of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which focuses on disability rights and research.)

"I love my job, it’s a perfect marriage of things I love: people, storytelling, traveling," he says, not to mention his recent stint interviewing stars on the red carpet at last weekend's Emmy Awards. Surely his parents would have been proud.

"Yes, but they would have teased me as well," Reeve says. "My dad, of course he was no stranger to the red carpet, but he didn’t give much weight to fame, he wasn’t a Hollywood type of person. So he’d have been proud of me for doing a good job, not that I was part of a glamorous night."

There was one glam Hollywood night that put his father in the spotlight, and it features prominently in "Super/Man." It is the night the former Man of Steel rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair at the Oscars in 1996, a year after the accident. He received a standing ovation from teary-eyed stars. A symbol not of comic-book strength, but of true grit.

For Reeve, such moments are not a part of history. They are forever.

"My parents will always be gone," he says. "But they'll never be forgotten."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Reeve talks ABC job, 'Super/Man' dad Christopher and grief