Gary Sinise’s son, Mac Sinise, dies aged 33

cnn
—

Mac Sinise, the son of the “Forrest Gump” actor Gary SiniseHe has died at the age of 33 after a long illness caused by a rare type of cancer, according to his family.

He died on Jan. 5 and was buried on Jan. 23, according to a tribute posted by the Gary Sinise Foundation, which provides support to wounded military veterans.

“Like any family who experiences a loss like this, we are heartbroken and have handled it the best we can,” Sinise wrote.

“As parents, it is very difficult to lose a child. “My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered a similar loss and to anyone who has lost a loved one.”

Mac, whose full name was McCanna Anthony Sinise, was described by his father as an “exceptional drummer.”

He played drums from the age of nine and often performed alongside his father as part of the Lt. Dan Band, the actor added.

In 2018, he was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare type of bone cancer that develops at the base of the skull, in a vertebra, or at the end of the spine.

According to the National Cancer Institute, chordoma affects only about 300 people in the United States per year.

Mac had surgery, his father said. However, the cancer returned and eventually spread.

“This began a long battle that made him increasingly incapacitated as time went on,” Sinise wrote, and eventually left Mac unable to play the drums.

Even as his health declined, Mac learned to play the harmonica and worked with friends on a music album called “Resurrection & Revival,” which went to press the week of his death.

“While our hearts ache for missing him, we are comforted knowing that Mac is no longer in trouble and we are inspired and touched by the way he did it,” Sinise wrote.

“He fought a tough battle against a cancer that has no cure, but he never stopped trying.”

“We were lucky to have you in our lives as a son, brother and friend… and we will miss you and love you for eternity,” added Sinise, who signed the tribute as “Proud Father of Mac Sinise.”

In addition to perhaps his most famous role as Lieutenant Dan in “Forrest Gump,” Gary Sinise has appeared in the films “Apollo 13,” “The Green Mile” and “Of Mice and Men,” as well as the television series “ CSI: NEW YORK.”