How 'Breaking Bad' star RJ Mitte became his family's breadwinner at just 13

RJ Mitte's mother, Dyna, has expressed her unwavering love for her son, honouring his 'deep empathy' in an emotional tribute. 

Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy aged three and achieved fame on Breaking Bad as the son of Bryan Cranston's character Walter White - was adopted as a newborn by Dyna and her then-husband Roy Frank Mitte Jr. 

The Breaking Bad actor died on October 12 at the age of 34, and his death has left his family struggling with a loss they never expected.

READ MORE: RJ Mitte's real cause of death revealed

At a young age, he became the family's breadwinner.

He was just 13 when a car accident ruptured Dyna's spine, leaving her paralysed from the waist down for years.

'What can I say about my precious child? From the day we got RJ at 3 days old, he has been inspiring and sharing his heart with everyone he met,' Dyna wrote Tuesday.

'Whether he was learning to manage and later thrive with cerebral palsy or finding his way in the acting community, it required hard work, but he succeeded and was always ready for the next challenge.'

She recalled the 'joy' of 'watching his way with people' and hailed him for the way he 'instantly charmed his way into people's lives like they were family.

'Sharing her pride in 'everything he overcame to become the man the world was just beginning to know,' she praised his 'deep empathy for those who needed him to be their voice,' adding that 'it was never a burden, but a role he loved to play.' 

Mitte's mother continued: 'We are lost without him, yet we know he wouldn't want us to be. He would want his message heard and the work we were doing with The Mitte Foundation in Brownsville to continue.'

The Mitte Foundation, founded by the actor's paternal grandparents, is a nonprofit with the stated aim of enhancing 'the quality of life of Central Texans.'

READ MORE: RJ Mitte's last film takes on new meaning after his sudden death