Gary Sinise’s only son, McCanna “Mac” Sinise, died last month after a 5½-year fight with a rare bone cancer, the veterans activist and “Forrest Gump” actor announced Tuesday on his foundation’s website.
“Like any family experiencing such a loss, we are heartbroken and have been managing as best we can,” the actor wrote. “As parents, it is so difficult losing a child. My heart goes out to all who have suffered a similar loss, and to anyone who has lost a loved one.”
Mac Sinise was 33 when the cancer chordoma took his life Jan. 5, his father wrote. After being diagnosed in August 2018 — the same year his mother, Moira, was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer — Mac faced five spine surgeries in less than two years, Sinise said, in addition to radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
“Chordoma is a one in a million cancer,” Gary Sinise wrote Tuesday, sharing information about the disease. “Originating in the spine, Chordoma affects, on average, only 300 people in the U.S. per year. In 70% of the cases the initial tumor can be removed, and it is cured. But in 30% of the cases, perhaps about 90 people per year, the cancer returns.”
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Mac — a drummer, pianist and USC Thornton School of Music graduate who sometimes filled in on drums in his dad’s Lt. Dan Band — had been working for the Gary Sinise Foundation since 2017. He resigned in 2020 to focus on recovery and rehab between his fourth and fifth surgeries, and in early 2023 he set to work on finishing a piece of music he had started while in college, his father said.
“The cancer had paralyzed him from the chest down, but he still had limited use of his right arm, and fingers on his left hand,” Sinise wrote. “Being right-handed, he would strap a stylus to his right hand, and he could punch letters and notes into his phone or iPad. He also had a small keyboard he laid on his hospital bed table that he used to work on his music.”
Mac worked with members of his father’s band as well as a friend from college, composer and arranger Oliver Schnee. Unable to play drums or piano anymore, Mac learned to play harmonica, Sinise said, and the project grew to include more songs and more collaborators. Recording sessions were held in July at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and in November at Blackbird Studio in Nashville.
But in December, Sinise wrote, “We had to take Mac to the emergency room for what would be his final trip to the hospital. He was having trouble getting his breath and after stabilizing him, he was admitted. I stayed with him as I had done many times before. During the first few days, I thought this would be another trip where we get things under control and head home. ... But the days got tougher, and on January 5th, with the family all around him, he let go.”
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Mac Sinise was laid to rest Jan. 23.
The album “Mac Sinise: Resurrection & Revival” will be finished and available soon, the “CSI: NY” star said, including a preorder link to his foundation’s store. Per Mac’s wishes, proceeds will go to the Gary Sinise Foundation, the site says. The foundation works to help the United States’ “defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need,” the site says.
“Over the years I have met so many families of our fallen heroes. It’s heartbreaking, and it’s just damn hard. Our family’s cancer fight lasted for 5½ years, and it became more and more challenging as time went on,” Sinise wrote. “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.
“He fought an uphill battle against a cancer that has no cure, but he never quit trying.”
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FAQs
Mac passed away at age 33 on January 5, 2023, Sinise revealed on the Gary Sinise Foundation website. His son battled chordoma, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the bones of the skull base and spine. It represents about 1%-4% of all primary bone tumors.
How did Gary Sinise lose his son? ›
In January, actor Gary Sinise lost his son, McCanna "Mac" Sinise, to cancer. He was 33. Now, Sinise is describing in detail Mac's final days, explaining that in the week before he died, he finished recording an album that he'd been working on for the last year.
What type of cancer did Gary Sinise's son have? ›
Doctors diagnosed Sinise's son, better known as Mac, with a rare spinal cancer called chordoma in 2018. At the same time, Sinise's wife Moira was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
What disease did Mac Sinise have? ›
Mac Sinise died five years after being diagnosed with chordoma. The cancer didn't stop him from pursuing his passion for music, and he recorded an album while receiving treatment.
Why is Gary Sinise's son in a wheelchair? ›
Gary Sinise shared that his son, a graduate of the University of Southern California, had undergone five spine surgeries between 2018 and 2020. He eventually became paralyzed from the chest down yet continued to work with collaborators in music to create an album called “Resurrection & Revival.”
Did Gary Sinise refuse to work with Tom Hanks? ›
Gary Sinise Refuses To Work With Tom Hanks On A $500 Million Project, “I Stay Away From Woke People” The Patriots Lovers Lt. Dan is even more respected. Well done Gary....
Is Gary Sinise a good guy? ›
Sinise has also received numerous awards and honors for his extensive humanitarian work and involvement with charitable organizations. He is a supporter of various veterans' organizations and founded the Lt. Dan Band (named after his character in Forrest Gump), which plays at military bases around the world.
What actor survived pancreatic cancer? ›
Actor and comedian Eric Idle, best known for his role in “Monty Python,” calls his pancreatic cancer diagnosis lucky. Unlucky for having the disease, but lucky because it was diagnosed very early.
Did Gary Sinise ever serve in the military? ›
Though he never enlisted himself, Sinise was named an Honorary US Marine on August 26, 2013 by Gen. James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps. The award is given to individuals in the civilian community who have made extraordinary contributions to the Marine Corps.
Is Gary Sinise crippled in real life? ›
Sinise, 39, who has both legs, surprised even himself with his performance as Lt. Dan, a co*cky Army officer who is wounded in the Vietnam War, losing both legs. He is shown both before the injury, as an able-bodied officer, and after, in a wheelchair, with both legs gone from the knee.
Gary Sinise wrote, “The week the album went to press, Mac lost his battle with cancer. He died on January 5, 2024 at 3:25pm, and was laid to rest on January 23rd. 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.
How rich is Gary Sinise? ›
News: With an estimated net worth of $60 million as of 2023, Gary Sinise, the renowned American actor recognized for his philanthropic endeavors and dedication to veterans, was born on March 17, 1955, in Blue Island, Illinois. His accomplished career spans across the realms of both movies and television shows.
Did Gary Sinise quit acting? ›
Fans of Gary Sinise the actor will be comforted to hear that this compelling third act of his life, filled with giving back and service to others, doesn't preclude his continuing with his chosen profession, and the 64-year-old thespian has no plans to stop acting. He was in a supporting role in the 2019 film SGT.
How much does the CEO of Gary Sinise Foundation make? ›
Salary Size Scorn
Critiques of non-profit CEO pay reached a fever pitch in 2022 with Gary Sinise Foundation numbers adding fuel to the fire. Filings revealed CEO Bridget Bissell earned $458,000 annually helming the charity's programs and operations.
Does Gary Sinise have any grandchildren? ›
Right now, Sinise is happy to take the time to do some other types of things that have become very important to him, especially being with his family — Moira, his wife of 40 years, their three children, and two granddaughters.
Does Gary Sinise have other kids? ›
Sinise, 68, had Mac with his wife, Moira Harris – the couple has been married since 1981, and also have daughters Sophie and Ella. Sinise, who has won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Tony, is also known for “Forrest Gump,” “Apollo 13” and “The Green Mile.”
