Hope & Support Through Cancer
- Actor Patrick Dempsey, who founded a center supporting those affected by cancer, recently celebrated his and Jillian Dempsey’s 25th wedding anniversary.
- It’s wonderful to see Dempsey’s continued love and dedication to his wife Jillian. However, aside from his family and busy acting career, he has also decided to dedicate his time, to helping others, ultimately opening the doors to his first “Dempsey Center” 16 years ago, amid a time his late mom Amanda was battling ovarian cancer.
- After Dempsey’s mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, throughout her journey, she experienced more than 12 recurrences. Patrick’s sister was Amanda’s primary caregiver, but the famous actor also played a significant role in his mom’s care.
- If you were recently diagnosed with cancer, you likely know about the wide range of emotions that news can bring. This is one of the most challenging phases of the cancer journey to overcome. However, a team of supporters can be most useful during these early stages. Your supporters can be close family members and friends or people from outside your inner circle, or support groups like the Dempsey Center.
The 58-year-old dad of three, known for acting as neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on “Grey’s Anatomy” for 10 seasons from 2005-2015, took to Instagram to share a heartwarming photo from their big day in 1999.
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His wife, a professional make-up artist whom Dempsey met in 1994 when he was a client at her hair salon, also shared the love-filled memory on her social media page.
Alongside the photo of them, appearing to be taken after they said their vows, Jillian wrote, “Happy 25th baby @patrickdempsey! Vintage moments to cherish.
“I love you beyond words & our wonderful children. *I’m also thrilled we’ve made it to an actual big number on a Hallmark card!”
Dempsey, who shares three children with his wife, may have had some rough patches in his relationship, but the two have powered through it all, which his wife previously commented on during their 18th anniversary, writing in an social media post, “Through thick and thin … I love you,” People previously reported.
As for how they met, Dempsey, who was dubbed PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive last year, previously told the celeb news outlet, he knew Jillian was meant for him from “the moment I saw her.”
He explained, “I went in where she was working, and I looked across the room at her and was blown away.” Dempsey admitted that a trip to New York made him realize he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life.
Recounting the roadtrip from Maine to New York, he said, “She was pretty game for the road trip so I thought that was good.I love the cold and rain and she loves the sun and beach.
“We’re complete opposites and I have to say, she’ll make me do s**t I never want to do and 9 times out of 10 she’s absolutely correct. So she puts up with me.”
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Dempsey, who also admitted that his wife continues to “inspire” him, added, “I just try to be a better person every day and be present.
“And to listen to what the needs are of the family and provide from that perspective,” he explained.
Patrick Dempsey’s Role in Health Care & Support For Those Affected By Cancer
It’s wonderful to see Patrick Dempsey’s continued love and dedication to his wife Jillian. However, aside from his family and busy acting career, he has also decided to dedicate his time, to help others, ultimately opening the doors to his first Dempsey Center in 16 years ago, amid a time his late mom Amanda was battling ovarian cancer.
RELATED: Actor Patrick Dempsey’s Higher Purpose: Helping Cancer Patients in His Home State of Maine
“After watching his mother’s journey with ovarian cancer, actor and Maine native Patrick Dempsey wanted to make a space where those impacted by cancer could find relief, comfort, and resources,” the website for the “Dempsey Center” explains.
“The Dempsey Center opened its doors in 2008 and today provides care and support to hundreds of individuals and their families.”
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The mission of the Dempsey Center is help people impacted by cancer, focusing on treating “the person, not the disease,” the centers have now served more than 15,000 people around the country with no cost services and individualized care.
In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet CEO Steve Alperin at the PHM Healthfront last spring, Dempsey said his mom “had the opportunity to see the center come to life. It was inspired by her journey, and she spent a lot of time there.”
WATCH: A Message of Hope from Actor Patrick Dempsey
After Dempsey’s mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, throughout her journey, she experienced more than 12 recurrences. Patrick’s sister was Amanda’s primary caregiver. However, the famous actor also played a significant role in his mother’s cancer care.
As the mentorship program at the Dempsey Center is a special aspect of their patient care, Dempsey explained to SurvivorNet, “This was something that was really important to my mother.”
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“She didn’t quite understand, like a lot of people that she went through treatment with didn’t survive, and she did. ‘So why am I still here?’ was the question she asked herself.”
He continued, “And with our apprentice program or our partnership, a survivor can then go back in and take all of that knowledge and all that experience and communicate with someone who’s recently diagnosed.
“And that is a profound moment when you see those two people connecting and it’s part of their healing process.”
WATCH: Patrick Dempsey’s Advice for Caregivers
Power of Support
If you were recently diagnosed with cancer, you likely know about the wide range of emotions that news can bring. This is one of the most challenging phases of the cancer journey to overcome.
However, a team of supporters can be most useful during these early stages. Your supporters can be close family members and friends or people from outside your inner circle.
WATCH: Sharing details about your cancer diagnosis.
“Some people don’t need to go outside their family and friends circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.
“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it is important to reach out to a mental health professional,” she added.
One benefit of having supporters is that they can help alleviate stress and anxiety following your diagnosis and advocate for you during treatment.
Sometimes, it is not always easy to share news you have cancer, even among loved ones. In such instances, you can seek a trained professional to center your support group around. Mental health professionals can help fill this space because many are trained to help you navigate your cancer treatment.
“Make sure that the mental health professional that you work with is reaching out with your consent to the rest of your team, to the oncologist, to the surgeon, it can also be helpful to reach out to family, friends, and any other caretakers that may be involved in the person’s treatment,” Dr. Plutchik said.
Dr. Plutchki recommends cancer patients consider the following three steps to get the help they need after a diagnosis:
- Step #1: Seek additional support if you need it (this could mean speaking to a mental health professional or seeking out a support group)
- Step #2: Look for a mental health professional with experience helping people in your situation.
- Step #3: Keep your care team connected. This may include your friends and loved ones, your therapist, and the doctors who are treating your cancer.
Tips for Dealing With Cancer in Your Relationship
Cancer can place a huge strain on any relationship, whether it’s yourself or loved one of yours battling a disease. The state of your relationship with your significant other before a cancer diagnosis can influence how you both endure the cancer journey.
Psychologist Susan McDaniel said in an earlie that cancer can either strengthen healthy relationships or widen the divide for couples already facing conflict.
So when you’re faced with a diagnosis or treatment, it can help to lean on the bond you’ve built with your partner.
For healthy couples confronted with cancer, “They recognize how they feel about each other, the petty stuff drifts away. There’s a certain kind of intimacy in having to face something really serious,” Dr. McDaniel said.
“For couples where there’s already significant difficulties that haven’t been resolved, and if the illness hits at some of that, then it’s really hard,” Dr. McDaniel added.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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