In 1991, Keanu Reeves’s younger sister was diagnosed with leukemia. As his Hollywood career was beginning to take off, the actor decided to become directly involved in her care, becoming one of her main sources of support during treatment.
He did more than accompany her to the hospital. He also prepared her meals, cleaned her house, and managed her medications. Even while filming the Matrix sequels, when Kim suffered a relapse, her illness remained a concern for him.
In a 1999 interview with Woman’s Day magazine, Kim said that her brother had helped her enormously during those years. She recalled that when the pain became too intense, Keanu would sit by her side and hold her hand. She also said that he always found a way to support and comfort her, even when he was far away.
After approximately a decade of battling the illness, Kim managed to go into remission. However, the actor’s commitment to this cause did not end there.
In 2009, Keanu revealed that he had been funding a private foundation for several years, one dedicated to supporting children’s hospitals and cancer research. What was unusual was that he had decided to keep his name out of it, because he preferred the organization to do its work without public recognition.
