14 DAY TRIAL // Following a two-year-long battle with pancreatic cancer, actor Patrick Swayze died last night in his LA home, surrounded by his family. The 57-year-old star “quietly” passed away, his publicist has confirmed. The family has yet to make another comment for the media.
Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2008 and, since then until his final hour, his battle with the terrible disease has often been quoted as an example of how will and determination can bring back hope. Initially, the actor was given six months at the very best, but he was set not to go down without putting up a fight, as he said so himself in one of the early interviews after the diagnosis was made public.
“You can bet that I’m going through hell. And I’ve only seen the beginning of it. There’s a lot of fear here. There’s a lot of stuff going on.” Patrick was saying in an interview with Barbara Walters about how he felt knowing he had a “deadline.”
Work kept him going, especially because he had realized he still had much to do and too little time. “I just love to work hard. I did find myself, at the end of the day, riding home sort of catching myself with a smile on my face. I’m proud of what I’m doing. There’s more I want to do. Lots more. So I’d better get on with it.” the actor was sharing.
What most surprised fans as regarded Swayze’s public battle with the disease was his realistic approach: the actor knew from the start that he would not live another five years and had already made his peace that he would only last a couple of years at best. “Five years is pretty wishful thinking. Two years seems likely if you’re going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I’d better get a fire under it.” Patrick was adding in the same Barbara Walters interview.
Sadly, they did not find a cure. Patrick Swayze, star of “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost,” and, above all, an admirable human being, will be missed.