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It is a sad time for the Dempsey family because they have lost their matriarch. Patrick Dempsey's mother, Amanda, sadly lost her long battle with ovarian cancer on Monday at age 79.

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According to People magazine, the actor's mother had been fighting the disease since 1997.

However, Amanda will not be forgotten because her strong will and courage inspired her children, Patrick and his sisters Mary and Alicia, to partner with the clinic where she had been treated, the Central Maine Medical Center. Together, they founded The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing in their native Lewiston, Maine.

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A cause that is close to the Grey's Anatomy star's heart, he revealed to reporters at the opening of the center, "For a family to get a cancer diagnosis is devastating, and all the information out there can be overwhelming. I talked to my sister[s] about a place where people could go for all this type of information and help. Knowledge is power."

The center has been open since 2008, and its mission is to provide "free cancer support, education and integrative medicine services to anyone impacted by cancer, regardless of where treatment is received."

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Peter Chalke, the president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, expressed his sorrow and condolences to the family after Amanda's passing via a press release.

"The entire Central Maine Medical family mourns the passing of Amanda Dempsey," Chalke said. "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."

Our thoughts are with the Dempsey family during this sad time.