Following the loss of her stepson, actor Rio Hackford, Helen Mirren is in mourning.
Mirren and her husband Taylor Hackford said in a statement to People that the 51-year-old died of uveeal melanoma, a “particularly aggressive and uncommon” type of eye cancer.
“His life modeled kindness and community for us,” Mirren and Hackford added.
“He shared his life’s journey with so many people who now grieve him while also celebrating their good fortune in meeting him.”
The Oscar winner and her husband wrapped up their message by urging everyone to pay attention to their eye health.
“We implore everyone reading this to have their eyes tested at least once a year,” they stated, adding that this may save their loved ones’ lives.
Uveal melanoma, also known as intraocular melanoma, is a cancer that starts in the cells in the uvea of the eye that produce the dark-colored pigment melanin.
The uvea, which includes the iris, is the central layer of the eye’s wall.
Hackford is survived by his two children and his wife, Libby Grace.
