Dr. McDreamy’s contribution to health care is not only just for boob tube.
Patrick Dempsey recently announced that he is planning to open a new center to benefit cancer patients at Central Maine Medical Center.
The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing is scheduled to open Mar. 31, it will serve and grant education and maintenance programs for people afflicted with cancer and their families.
The actor also placed a seed grant for the center, which he formed in tribute of his mum, Amanda, who was fruitfully rehabilitated for ovarian cancer at the hospital and is now in remission.
Patrick Dempsey, 42, admitted that he remembered not knowing where to go at the time his mother was identified to have cancer a decade ago.
“For a family to get a cancer diagnosis is devastating, and all the information out there can be overwhelming,” Dempsey said. “A lot of the websites I went to just didn’t have enough information.â€
“So, I talked to my sister about a place where people could go for all this type of information and help. Knowledge is power.”
Mary, Dempsey’s sister, who works at the hospital and will provide her services as director of the new center, while Patrick also plans to take charge in the center’s civic education movement about cancer prevention and detection.
The Grey’s Anatomy star said he worked out plans for his participation with the center for the period of the recent writers’ strike, which shut down production on his hit ABC medical drama. At the moment, now that the strike has over, on the other hand, he mentioned that he’s pleased to be back on the set.
“I’m just happy to be working, and I think after having some success early in my career and then having to really work at it, I appreciate it more now,” he gushed.
