Patrick Swayze Dies at 57

I think anyone that writes romantic stories knows a true heartthrob when they see one.  And Patrick Swayze was a beloved star that fit that mold perfectly.  I just found out that he died of pancreatic cancer at the young age of 57 yesterday.  I guess all of that Kayne West/Taylor Swift VMA stuff took our attention from his passing.  So let's re-focus.

I can’t forget the first time I saw him in Dirty Dancing.  It felt almost sinful to watch him dance the way he did.  All that gyrating and close movements had me and my young girlfriends wishing we could grow up fast so we could find a man like him.  (Yes, it was a rebellious stage.  LOL)  Then I remember the tender moment he captured forever in cinematic history with Demi Moore in Ghost.  I don’t think I’ll ever look at a copper penny the same way again.

We were very lucky that he shared his talent with us.  He was very optimistic about his fight to stay alive earlier this year.  “I’d say five years is pretty wishful thinking,” Swayze told ABC’s Barbara Walters in early 2009. “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.”

Swayze appeared on the Stand Up to Cancer in September 2008 to appeal to the general public for donations for the initiative. Swayze said to a standing ovation "I dream that the word 'cure' will no longer be followed by the words 'it's impossible'. Together, we can make a world where cancer no longer means living with fear, without hope, or worse".

On April 19, 2009, doctors informed Swayze that the cancer had again metastasized to his liver.  Swayze stated that his chain smoking probably "had something to do with" the development of his disease. Photos taken of a gaunt Swayze in the months before his death showed him continuing to smoke.

Swayze's publicist, Annett Wolf, confirmed to CNN that he had died of pancreatic cancer "with family at his side" on September 14, 2009, at age 57, twenty months after being diagnosed.

My heart goes out to Lisa Niemi, his wife of over 30 years and his mother, Patsy.
Rest in Peace, Patrick.

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