The Hollywood star and veterans rights advocate Gary Sinise of Forrest Gump fame made the sad announcement on Tuesday that his son Mac died last month after a five-and-a-half year battle with the rare cancer Chordoma. He was only 33 years-old.
Sinise’s Son Passes Away
In a lengthy post on his Gary Sinise Foundation website, Sinise died on January 5, 2024 and was laid to rest later that month.
“Like any family experiencing such a loss, we are heartbroken and have been managing as best we can. As parents, it is so difficult losing a child,” Sinise wrote. “My heart goes out to all who have suffered a similar loss, and to anyone who has lost a loved one.”
“We’ve all experienced it in some way. Over the years I have met so many families of our fallen heroes,” he continued.”It’s heartbreaking, and it’s just damn hard. Our family’s cancer fight lasted for 5 ½ years, and it became more and more challenging as time went on. While our hearts ache at missing him, we are comforted in knowing that Mac is no longer struggling, and inspired and moved by how he managed it.”
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Sinise Praises Mac
Sinise went on to praise his son for how hard he fought throughout his cancer battle.
“He fought an uphill battle against a cancer that has no cure, but he never quit trying,” Sinise wrote. “Mac loved movies, and we always told him he reminded us of the soldier at the end of the extraordinary film 1917, running through the battlefield, bombs going off all around him, knocking him down one after the other, yet he keeps getting back up, refusing to quit and keeps running forward.”
In this post, Sinise revealed that Mac was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, the very same year that his wife Moira was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Moira was able to recover from her cancer, but Mac had a tougher road that saw him undergo five spinal surgeries that ultimately left him paralyzed from the chest down.
Music was Mac’s passion in life, and despite being paralyzed, he managed to complete a full album in the year before his death after teaching himself to play the harmonica.
“In sharing our story, we hope to shine a little bit of light on what has been a difficult time for us as Mac was truly a light for all of us,” Sinise wrote. “An incredible inspiration to those who knew and loved him, he faced his battle with grace, courage, and love. Even with one setback after another, he never stopped living and learning, creating, and giving, and loving.”
Watch Mac record a song last year in the video below.
Related: Gary Sinise Foundation Gives Triple Amputee Tennessee Veteran Mortgage-Free Smart Home
‘Thank You, Mac’
Mac is survived by his parents, two sisters, grandmother, and many other extended family members.
“Thank you, Mac. You did it. ‘Resurrection & Revival’ will live on. And so will you. In our hearts forever,” Sinise concluded. “We were blessed to have you in our lives as son, brother, and friend…and we will miss you and love you for eternity. -Gary Sinise Proud father of Mac Sinise.”
Aside from being a Hollywood star, Sinise has made millions for veterans through his eponymous foundation. To find out that he’s been simultaneously dealing with his son’s cancer battle over the past five-and-a-half years just shows how selfless he really is.
Please join us in saying a prayer for the entire Sinise family. Rest in peace, Mac Sinise.
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