Brutal agony and heartbreak Christopher Reeve's son Will hid behind smiles as he revealed rare cancer live on TV... and the Good Morning America host who tragically shares his pain

When Will Reeve bravely announced he had been diagnosed with a rare form of testicular cancer this week, fans publicly cried out: How much more can this young man take?

Known for his sunny demeanor and striking resemblance to his late father, Superman star Christopher Reeve, Will's announcement that he had not only undergone treatment for aggressive embryonal carcinoma but had also continued to work throughout, shocked Good Morning America (GMA) viewers.

For months, the 34-year-old ABC News correspondent was quietly traveling between the TV studios in Hudson Square to Manhattan's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer center to undergo chemotherapy – the same hospital where his mother Dana Reeve died from lung cancer in 2006.

The only son of quadriplegic Hollywood heartthrob Christopher, who died in 2004, and actress and activist Dana, Will was orphaned at 13 years old after both his parents died in the span of just 17 months.

'Will is one of the nicest guys. He comes from a great family that has already been through so much,' a source close to the family told the Daily Mail.

'Will put on a brave face when he announced his cancer struggle on GMA, but he was worried about it all for months, he went through a lot. It was a shock because he is so young and he has so many plans for his career, he feels his career is just starting.'

And, we are told, that passion for his career never faltered throughout his diagnosis and treatment, no matter how difficult the side effects.

He underwent two rounds of chemotherapy, an orchiectomy to remove his cancerous testicle and a six-hour surgery to remove dozens of lymph nodes in his abdomen.

'He had a lot of pain after the surgeries and the chemo, it was hard on him,' our insider said.

'He said the headaches were brutal. But he worked hard to keep his hair and look good for the camera.'

Continuing with his job meant having to reveal his diagnosis to his colleagues, and trust that news of his health would not leak.

'Will told his family and GMA right away, and they kept the information quiet, they had to, and GMA had to be careful because of his contract,' our source said.

'He also has good friends who don't gossip, so there was trust. He had to tell GMA everything because he worked through his cancer fight. He is very committed to his career and wants to do well.'

Going public at work also allowed Will to find solace in close friend Michael Strahan, who knows only too well the pain that cancer can cause, having watched his daughter Isabella get diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in 2023 when she was only 19.

'Michael has been especially supportive because his daughter had cancer, she had a brain tumor, so he knows what it is like to have cancer in the family,' the insider said.

Isabella was declared cancer-free in July 2024.

As well as his GMA family, Will's doting wife Amanda, who first encouraged him to seek medical attention after he found a lump on his testicle back in April, has been his biggest support, as well as his siblings Matthew, 46, and Alexandra, 42.

'Will and his wife have a very strong bond, they are super close and she has been his biggest cheerleader,' the insider said.

'His brother and sister were very worried, it was like "here we go again" after Christopher and Dana, but they rallied and were there for Will.'

Will was days away from his third birthday when his Superman star father, then 42, was left paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia, in May 1995.

He relied upon a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life before his death in 2004 aged 52.

After the loss of his parents, Will was raised by the family's neighbors and close friends.

Will, along with Matthew and Alexandra, who Reeve shared with ex-partner Gae Exton, work with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which aims to cure spinal cord injury by advancing innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis.

Will is now cancer-free, as of a check-up on September 8, and will have scans and bloodwork three to four times a year to check for any recurrence of the disease.

The five-year survival rate for embryonal carcinoma is over 98 percent for early-stage disease and ranges from 74 percent to 80 percent for advanced, widespread disease, per The Cleveland Clinic.

Will also did sperm banking to ensure he would be able to start a family with Amanda, who he married at a star-studded ceremony in Florida in January.

'Will rethought his life a lot when he was diagnosed as he brought up the subject of starting a family,' the source said.

'Losing one testicle presents some challenges with having children, so he and Amanda had to have that talk about having kids. They want children so he was extra cautious by going to a sperm bank. They will likely start a family soon, they are eager to have kids.'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Will Reeve and Michael Strahan for comment.