A horseback riding accident paralyzed Will Reeve’s father, Superman star Christopher Reeve, from the neck down when he was just three years old. Christopher died from heart failure at the age of 52 in 2004, eight years after leading an inspirational life as a quadriplegic.

The family was still in grief when the unimaginable occurred: Will’s mother, Dana Reeve, who had dedicated her life to caring for her husband while still being a fantastic mother to Will, was diagnosed with lung cancer despite never smoking.

Dana died suddenly in March 2006, only 17 months after her husband’s death, leaving Will as an orphan at the age of 13.

“That’s when I realized I was completely alone,” the 32-year-old admits in the film Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story.

Will, on the other hand, tells PEOPLE that he has gotten an outpouring of support from family and friends.

“I moved in with our beloved neighbors, who were our best friends,” he recounts what occurred next. “And that’s been such an unlikely, amazing experience for almost 20 years.”

His elder half-siblings, Matthew and Alexandra, were also important characters in his childhood, functioning as both parents and siblings.

“Matthew and Al, always in my life, not just in the hard times, have been sources of such strength, support, joy, and love for me,” he says.

“I mean, everybody came through,” he explains. I believe it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. My maternal grandparents, Charles and Helen Morini, were absolutely vital. And we were lucky to live in a close-knit neighborhood. A large group of friends, instructors, coaches, and past and present people contributed in any way they could.”

It truly is a team effort. And the town responded to our predicament in such a significant and profound manner.”

Even though he felt supported and loved, he still terribly missed his mother—and always would.

“My mom was maybe the most special person ever to grace this earth,” he adds of Dana. “My mother had an intrinsic desire to care for others and offer compassion to everyone she met. She did not have to wake up every day to care for our family. It is who she was.”

He claims he’s working hard in therapy these days to cope with his severe losses.

“Putting one foot in front of the other does not imply disregarding the issue. It just means that you carry on, but you bring your luggage with you, and you must soldier on,” Will says.

He goes on to say, “Grief is permanent. People we love who have passed away are no longer with us on this planet, but their memories, spirits, and ideals live on. We honor those we have lost by focusing on our feelings of affection for them. And this helps us recover.”

Fathom Events sells tickets for Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story.