The 'Grey's Anatomy' star's mother, Amanda Dempsey, passes away at the age of 79 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997.
- Mar 26, 2014
AceShowbiz - Patrick Dempsey is mourning the death of his mother, Amanda Dempsey. The "Grey's Anatomy" star's mother passed away surrounded by her family on Monday, March 24 at a hospital in Maine. She was 79.
"The entire Central Maine Medical family mourns the passing of Amanda Dempsey," said Peter Chalke, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, in a press release. "Amanda Dempsey was both a great lady and a determined fighter who displayed tremendous courage, class and grace during her long battle with cancer. ... We will miss Amanda deeply, but we were all blessed by knowing her and being inspired by her life story."
Amanda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997. Her fight with the disease then inspired the actor and his two sisters to found a cancer center called The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston in 2008. The center provides support, education and integrative medicine services to people affected by cancer.
Prior to her death, Amanda led the walk during the Dempsey Challenge which raised $5 million for the cancer center. She also volunteered at the cancer center, sewing pieces for cancer patients and controlling the quality of products which were given to the patients.
