Jeremy Renner’s Family Is ‘Thrilled with His Progress’ Following Snowplow Accident, Says His Sister

Jeremy Renner is making major strides following a frightening New Year’s Day snowplow accident on his property in Reno, Nevada.

“We are so thrilled with his progress,” the actor’s sister, Kym Renner, says in the new issue of PEOPLE. “If anyone knows Jeremy, he is a fighter and doesn’t mess around. He is crushing all the progress goals. We couldn’t feel more positive about the road ahead.”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe actor, 52, has been hospitalized since Jan. 1, when he was airlifted to a local medical center. He suffered “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries,” according to a statement from his rep, and underwent emergency surgery the next day.

Renner gave his first update to fans on Jan. 3, posting a hospital bed selfie to Instagram and thanking well-wishers for their support. “Thank you all for your kind words. . Im too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”

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Two days later, he shared a video to his Instagram Story where his sister could be seen massaging his head and making her brother laugh as their mother looked on during what the actor wrote was a “spa moment to lift my spirits.”

Jeremy Renner/Instagram

On Jan. 6, he posted an image on his Instagram Story surrounded by hospital staff alongside a message of gratitude. “Thank you renowned medical ICU team for beginning this journey,” he wrote alongside the image with a series of prayer emojis beneath the photo.

Renner, who celebrated his 52nd birthday in the hospital Jan. 7, was “moving snow from his driveway so that his family members could depart his home after ringing in the new year together,” his rep previously told PEOPLE. “He was also helping clear out the snow of his neighbor’s home as everyone up there had been without power for 24 hours, and there had been a large snowfall.”

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Meanwhile, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said in a press conference the same day that Renner was helping a family member get a “stuck” vehicle out of the estimated 3 feet of snowfall from the night before when the incident occurred.

“Mr. Renner went to retrieve his PistenBully, or snowcat — an extremely large piece of snow-removal equipment weighing at least 14,330 pounds — in an effort to get his vehicle moving. After successfully towing his personal vehicle from its stuck location, Mr. Renner got out of his PistenBully to speak to his family member,” said Balaam.

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“At this point, it is observed that the PistenBully started to roll. In an effort to stop the rolling PistenBully, Mr. Renner attempts to get back into the driver’s seat of the PistenBully. Based on our investigation, it’s at this point that Mr. Renner is run over by the PistenBully.”

Several of Renner’s friends and costars including Evangeline Lilly, Hailee Steinfeld and Chris Hemsworth have all wished the actor well in his recovery, with Lilly, 43, writing on Instagram that Renner has “always been one of the most grounded and real people I ever met in Hollywood.”

A Renner source says the messages from famous friends and fans alike have kept his spirits up as he continues to heal: “Jeremy is making positive progress and while he has a long road to recovery, he is overwhelmed by the showing of love and support.”

For more on Jeremy Renner, pick up the new issue of PEOPLE.