"You are greatly missed by so many, but I can’t imagine anyone missing you more than me," Swank wrote.
Hilary Swank is honoring her late father with a moving tribute. It's been nearly two years since Stephen Michael Swank passed away in October 2021, and he spent his last years with his daughter, who cared for him when he was sick. Swank still remembers the sweet moments the father-daughter duo shared. In a touching tribute, she noted how she missed him and how he would be a wonderful grandfather to her two children, whom she recently gave birth to. The Oscar-winning actress welcomed her twins with her husband Philip Schneider over a week ago.
"You would be 75 today, and a great papa to two more extraordinary souls," the new mom captioned an Instagram post, in honor of her dad. "I celebrate you every day and the beautiful grace-filled gift you were and continue to be in my life. You are greatly missed by so many, but I can’t imagine anyone missing you more than me. Thank you for being my guiding light. I love you, Dad. Always and forever through every lifetime."
Her father had a special place in her heart and she proved to be a caring daughter when she took a break from her thriving career to care for him in 2014. The Boys Don't Cry star revealed why she took a break from Hollywood to be by her father Stephen's side during a lung transplant procedure. Swank claimed she became her father's "health advocate," per Health magazine's September issue in 2020.
"It was supposed to be a year because it takes a year to see if an organ transplant takes. A lung transplant is the most difficult of all, as it's an incredibly delicate organ. The plan was to take off a year. I became my dad's health advocate. One year quickly turned into two and then three." It wasn't easy for the actress who said it "takes a lot of energy, love, and edifying yourself on the matter at hand. The ups and downs are so challenging and can be overwhelming." She advised others who are taking care of their loved ones during a health crisis to "make sure that you're taking time for yourself and that you vocalize what your needs are to the people who are around you so they can help support you."
In an Instagram post last year, the Million Dollar Baby star described her "unique relationship" with her dad as something special and said she grew closer to him while she cared for him during his health battles. As his "sole caretaker" she "grew incredibly close to him during this time, deepening our relationship and savoring every moment we had together." She noted that her dad "will always remain one of my most favorite persons and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him."
The Away actress learned that "in this physical loss, as devastating as it is, I was awakened to the truest sense of living again. It helped me better understand the circle of life and where we come from and where we go back to, which has connected me back to my truest self." She concluded by saying, "We are all in this together. I love you all and am grateful for this community."
References:
https://www.health.com/celebrities/hilary-swank-interview
https://www.instagram.com/hilaryswank/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Earl Gibson III
