Gary Sinise is looking back on his tough year and the unexpected “blessings” he experienced amid the heartbreak.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Sinise revealed that this Thanksgiving he is thankful for all the people who came together to support him and his family following the death of his son, McCanna Anthony “Mac” Sinise.
He explained that it’s always hard to lose “any family member, but a parent losing a child is a tough one,” but he is able to remain “thankful for the good fortune” he experienced during that tough time.
“I can’t tell you, when the word got out that we lost our son, the outpouring of love and condolence and heartbreak and support was overwhelming. And it was beautiful,” he told Fox News Digital. “I mean, from people I know, lots of people that I know or have known in the past that I hadn’t seen for years who read about it and reached out, to people that I’ve never met.”
Sinise is thankful for all those who supported him following the death of his son. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
GARY SINISE LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR NASHVILLE AFTER SON, WIFE WERE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER
The “Forrest Gump” star’s son died at the age of 33, in January 2024 from a rare form of cancer called chordoma, which he was first diagnosed with in August 2018. According to the Gary Sinise Foundation’s website, chordoma is a type of cancer that starts in the spine, only affecting an average of 300 people in the U.S. per year.
“I can’t tell you, when the word got out that we lost our son, the outpouring of love and condolence and heartbreak and support was overwhelming. And it was beautiful.”
Following Mac’s death, Sinise shared a lengthy tribute to his son on the foundation’s website. He shared Mac’s story, including his work with the foundation, his passion for music, his health challenges and the release of his album, “Mac Sinise: Resurrection & Revival Part 2.”
“If you go to the Gary Sinise Foundation website, and you look at that story that’s on the front page about Mac… If you look at that, and you scroll down to the bottom of that page… you’ll see thousands, literally thousands of messages coming in from all over the country and overseas from people who read that story and, you know, wanted to give us some love and support,” he explained. ” And so I’m thankful for the love that we’ve received and the family that we have.”
At the end of the day, Sinise is thankful that he and his “whole family had 33 years with our son, who was a blessing to all of us.”
Sinise is thankful for the time he and his family had with his son. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
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Prior to his son’s diagnosis, Sinise’s wife, Moira, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in June 2018. However, she went into remission after a few months of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
Due to the health issues his family was facing, Sinise quit acting in 2019 in order to better care for his wife and son, and later moved his family from Los Angeles to Nashville in 2021 to focus on his son’s health.
WATCH: Gary Sinise shares he is thankful for his support system this Thanksgiving
“My wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer. My son was diagnosed with this very rare cancer… within two months of each other. My dad had just had a stroke, and my mom was alone, and I had to… take care of her.… I kind of had my hands full.”
“Our son was fighting this cancer with no cure,” Sinise emotionally continued. “Trying to find drugs and doctors or anybody that could do anything for him was like a full-time job. Plus, he became more and more disabled by the cancer as time went on.… He needed more and more care.”
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Sinise moved to Nashville in 2021 to focus on his son’s health. (Getty Images/Bob Riha, Jr.)
Before his death, Mac worked on music for the Gary Sinise Foundation, which assists veterans and first responders by creating programs geared toward education and community building.
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