Actor Patrick Dempsey’s mother, first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997, battled the disease for 17 years before she passed away. Her cancer journey affected the entire family, of course, a close-knit group that remains tight to this day. In an intimate sit-down with SurvivorNet, Dempsey offered advice to others who act as caregivers as loved ones go through cancer.
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Read MoreThrough the experience, he said, the whole family learned how important it is for caregivers to keep their own health — mental and physical — in check.
This was one of the reasons that Dempsey co-founded The Dempsey Center in his home state of Maine. It offers complementary services for cancer patients and for caregivers, such as group therapy.
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“Remember to take care of yourself,” Dempsey said. “If you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s going to be harder for you to take care of the person you’re in charge of. My mother was a fighter. That gave us energy as well, and she got energy from us by being there. … I think that was the thing that was surprising. Her resilience gave us strength … and that’s a part of us now.”
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