During the time when Will Reeve was just three years old, his father, Christopher Reeve, who played Superman, was involved in a horseback riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Eight years later, in 2004, Christopher passed away due to heart failure at the age of 52. He had inspired many people during his life despite being a quadriplegic.
The family was still in a state of bereavement when the unimaginable occurred: Will’s mother, Dana Reeve, who had committed herself to caring for her husband while still being an incredible mother to Will, was diagnosed with lung cancer despite the fact that she had never smoked.
In March of 2006, Dana passed away unexpectedly, only seventeen months after the passing of her husband. Will was left an orphan at the age of thirteen.
The 32-year-old actor is quoted as saying, “That’s when I realized I was completely alone,” in the movie Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Will, on the other hand, has disclosed to PEOPLE that he has been presented with an unbelievable amount of support from his family and friends.
“I moved in with our beloved neighbors who were our best friends,” he recounts on the subsequent events that took place. “And that’s been such an unlikely, amazing experience for almost 20 years.”
Besides being his siblings, his elder half-siblings, Matthew and Alexandra, were also a constant presence in his childhood. They served as parental figures in addition to being his siblings.
“Matthew and Al, always in my life, not just in the hard times, have been sources of such strength and support and joy and love for me,” according to his statement.
“I mean, everyone came through,” he continues. “I mean… I believe that it was a circumstance that required everyone to pitch in and help. My maternal grandparents, Charles and Helen Morini, were an incalculably important part of my life. In addition, we were lucky enough to reside in a town that was quite close-knit. We had large groups of friends, instructors, and coaches, as well as individuals from the past and people from the present, all of whom contributed in any manner they could at any given time.
There is a proverb that goes, “It takes a village to make a village.” Furthermore, the village’s response to our predicament was so significant and profound that it had a significant influence.
As much as he felt loved and supported, he still missed his mother terribly, and he would continue to do so for the rest of his life.
“My mom was maybe the most special person ever to grace this earth,” he recalls while talking about Dana. “My mother had a natural tendency to be compassionate and kind toward everyone she met. She had a penchant for providing care to others. There was no need for her to get up every morning and make the decision to look for our family. It was a part of who she was.
According to him, he uses therapy as a means of coping with the severe losses he has experienced in recent years.
The phrase “putting one foot in front of the other” does not suggest that the problem is being ignored. The only thing that it implies is that you go on, but you have the baggage with you, and you still have to keep going,” Will adds.
He continues by saying, “Grief is long-lasting.” Even if the people we love and who we lose are no longer physically present on this planet, we will always carry their memories, their energy, and the ideals they instilled in us with us. And by centering our lives on the love that we have for people who have passed away, we are able to show respect for them. Indeed, this aids in our recovery.
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