Actor Gary Sinise Reflects on Faith, Son's Death After Cancer Battle

"He was a man of great faith — great, great faith." That's how actor Gary Sinise describes his 33-year-old son, Mac, who died in January after a harrowing battle with Chordoma, a persistent and rare cancer that starts in the spine. The "Forrest Gump" star told CBN News his son "loved his Catholic faith" and deeply embraced it throughout his journey. "It was just inspiring to see how it helped sustain him through this cancer battle," Sinise said of the harrowing health fight that started in 2018. For years, the family grappled with it all alongside Mac, trying available medications and anything believed able to potentially offer healing. As long as his son kept fighting, Sinise said he was there to support him. And that process wasn't easy, as the loving dad recounted the "very disabling and crippling" nature of the disease. After the first tumor was removed in September of 2018, Mac was monitored and by May of 2019, the cancer had returned. "It had come back and it was starting to spread throughout his body," Sinise said. "He was back in the hospital again, and he started chemo and radiation at that point, but there is no cure for this particular cancer. There's no reliable drug that has been used to fight it that has been effective." The unpredictable nature of the cancer meant doctors would often throw different medicines into the mix, hoping to thwart the malignancy — but to no avail. Mac faced spinal surgery, multitudes of hospital visits, and more. "These tumors were growing very fast," Sinise said. "Uncharacteristically fast for Chordoma." Listen to him share the family's journey.