How Patrick Dempsey Is Helping Others
- Actor Patrick Dempsey, 57, recently sat down with “Good Morning America” this week to discuss his new movie “Ferrari” and reveal the best thing that’s come from “Grey’s Anatomy.”
- For Dempsey, after caring for his late mother Amanda Dempsey during a lengthy ovarian cancer battle, he wanted to make sure patients had a safe and welcoming place to go for the care they needed.
- The Dempsey Center offers patients and their families support through complementary services like group therapy, support groups, educational classes, grief counseling, meditation, yoga and acupuncture, among other offerings.
- The Center has locations in Portland and Lewiston, Maine, and people across the country can also access educational workshops, nutrition classes, movement and fitness classes, and integrative therapy workshops online.
“Sexiest Man Alive” and beloved actor Patrick Dempsey, 57, who was admirably his mother’s caregiver as she fought ovarian cancer before her passing in 2014, sat down with “Good Morning America” this week to discuss his new movie “Ferrari” and reveal the best thing that’s come from “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Read MoreSpeaking to “GMA”, Dempsey said, “[‘Grey’s Anatomy’] has really inspired so many people to go into the medical profession and has given me the platform to be able to do the ‘Ferrari’ movie and to be able to have [the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ title].View this post on Instagram
“I think that’s been the biggest gift coming out of that show, is to be able to do something positive and give back.”
Dempsey said he’s been given back by creating the Dempsey Center, which offers patients and their families support through complementary services like group therapy, support groups, educational classes, grief counseling, meditation, yoga and acupuncture, among other offerings.
“So, what we’re doing at the Dempsey Center, people that are impacted by cancer, we support them. We don’t treat the disease, we treat the person holistically with wraparound care, and you understand this, how important that is,” Dempsey said on the morning show.
“And our goal is to reach everyone whose been impacted in the state of Maine, and also then, just spread the word of like, ok this is what you need to do to compliment the traditional approached of fighting cancer, and it should be standardized care. This is what we’re fighting for. You just see how it changes people’s lives.”
Dempsey, who founded the Dempsey Center in 2008, continued, “We do spend so much time and energy on research and developing the drugs that are important, but we forget about healing the human being.
“Not only the patient but the family and everyone around them that’s been impacted.”
During the “GMA” interview, Dempsey also admitted his role in the “Ferrari” movie is different from the acting he did on “Grey’s Anatomy” and unrelated to the work he does for the Dempsey Center, but he dubbed it as “the best job I’ve ever had in my life.”
The “Ferrari” movie, where Dempsey portray’s Italian racer Piero Taruffi, is set to come out on December 25, 2023.
Recounting filming for “Ferrari,” a movie about Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari, Dempsey said, “I was in Italy driving cars, making a movie with Michael Mann, having great food, cycling on the weekend. It was an extraordinary experience with some great actors.”
He added, “The movie itself, I think, is quite special. Yes, it’s about cars, but it’s much more than that. It’s about passion, about sacrifice and about loss.
“If you’re going in expecting great racing, you’ll get that, but you’ll also have a great human story as well.”
Understanding The Dempsey Center
Patrick Dempsey previously spoke with SurvivorNet CEO Steve Alperin about how he works as a passionate advocate for cancer patients through The Dempsey Center.
Expert Caregiving Resources
Dempsey explained how he strives to help patients and their loved ones feel supported and educated during their journey something many people dealing with cancer are in desperate need of.
WATCH: A Message of Hope from Actor Patrick Dempsey
When SurvivorNet CEO Steve Alperin sat down with Dempsey at an event hosted by Publicis Health Media, a large ad agency focused on health, Dempsey recounted his journey as an advocate for those in need began when he cared for his late mother during a lengthy ovarian cancer battle.
“She was a real fighter,” Dempsey said in his conversation with SurvivorNet. “We learned a lot in the process.”
That included seeing the gaps that exist when someone learns they have cancer. Dempsey wanted to make sure other patients and families had a safe and welcoming place to go for the care their needed.
So in 2008, he opened The Dempsey Center, where people affected by cancer can find support through complementary services like group therapy, support groups, educational classes, grief counseling, meditation, yoga and acupuncture, among other offerings.
“What can we do to help you?” is one of the first questions they ask when a newly diagnosed cancer patient walks through their doors.
The Dempsey Center has locations in Portland and Lewiston, Maine. But people all across the country can also access their educational workshops, nutrition classes, movement and fitness classes, and integrative therapy workshops online here.
And if you’d like help finding similar support in your area, you have some options:
- American Cancer Society: Search the group’s online database of local programs and services that can help support you and your loved ones through your journey. ACS can also help connect you with free or low-cost resources.
- CancerCare’s A Helping Hand: This organization helps people find free, professional support services like educational workshops and counseling. Search the online database for resources in your area.
- Cancer Support Community: This non-profit group has locations across the country that offer support groups, yoga classes, and educational workshops for patients and their loved ones. Search their registry for a location near you.
Dempsey, who’s been improving the relationship between cancer patients and their care for more than 15 years, 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.”
The Motivation Behind Patrick Dempsey’s Mission
Patrick Dempsey’s mother, Amanda Dempsey, was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998.
“When my mother was diagnosed in 1998 with ovarian cancer, the feeling was absolute shock,” Dempsey previously said. “This is the strongest person in my life. How can she possibly be vulnerable and be sick, and what do I do? What can I do to help her?
“And I don’t know anything, and that scares me. And that was the initial, I think, feeling that I had when my mom was diagnosed.”
Dempsey’s mom had more than 12 recurrences throughout her 17-year battle before passing away from the disease at 79. Dempsey’s sister was the main caregiver, but he still played a big role in helping his mother during her battle. Especially after he learned about the concept of complementary medicine a term used to denote treatments you receive alongside traditional Western medicine for a more comprehensive mind-body approach.
“My mother could use this type of help,” he recalled thinking. “Is there anything in our community that’s like this? And when I asked that question, the answer was no. And then we started the center coming from that place.”
In Dempsey’s words, complementary medicine addresses concerns with “the human spirit.”
“You have all this wonderful science, right?” he said. “But there also is the humanity and the side that needs the compassion. And that’s the type of work that complementary medicine provides. It’s not the end all be all, but one element of the team. And that’s an important role to have the patient wrapped with as much information and support that they can have moving forward.”
Remember, being a caregiver, like Dempsey was for his mother, can be extremely time consuming, and it’s easy to spend all of your time dedicated to the individual you’re helping. However, experts have said it’s key that caregivers still take some time out of their day to do activities they enjoy in order for them to prioritize their mental health.
This can be anything that brings you joy, whether it’s watching a movie, going on a walk, or simply getting lunch with a friend. No matter what activity you choose, taking time for yourself can be a huge help in remaining positive.
“One of the things that is common for caregivers is that the roles really shift,” Julie Bulger, manager of patient and family-centered care at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The daily tasks, you are there picking up medication. You’re there to prepare foods. You’re there to go on doctor’s visits with your loved one…but as people say, you can’t care for others if you’re not caring for yourself. So it is important to have some things that you can do that’s kind of outside of the focus of caring for somebody that you love with cancer.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.