How Did Will Become an Orphan at 13?
Ten months after Christopher passed, Dana announced she was battling lung cancer. At the time, she shared:
“Now, more than ever, I feel Chris with me as I face this challenge. As always, I look to him as an example of defying the odds with strength, courage, and hope in the face of life’s adversities.”
Dana Reeve at the Christopher Reeve Foundation’s “A Magical Evening” press conference in 2005 | Source: Getty Images
She also said she had married a man who did not give up when things got tough, and she channeled his energy to face her diagnosis and be there for her young son throughout.
Sadly, just seven months after she announced her diagnosis, Dana lost her battle with cancer and passed away at age 44. Will was only thirteen when he lost his mother and was left orphaned and alone.
Dana and Will Reeve at Superskate 2001 at Madison Square Garden | Source: Getty Images
Following his mother’s death, Will moved in with a childhood friend and his parents. He had two half-siblings from his father’s previous relationship, but Dana did not want to uproot him and preferred to have him stay in Bedford, New York. She made all the arrangements before her death.
