A Mother's Day Exclusive: How Amanda Dempsey's Life
Inspired Hope For So Many
“Your biggest contribution may not be something that you do, but someone that you raise.”
As Mother’s Day approaches, I wanted to share a wonderful story about a mom that I, recently, came across. The story captures the essence of the quote above incredibly well and serves as a profound reminder of the impact moms have on their children, their community and society as a whole. The story is about a woman named Amanda Dempsey.
“Who is Amanda Dempsey?” you may ask. Amanda Dempsey is Patrick Dempsey’s mother. She is also the woman who inspired the creation of The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing -- a Cancer center that understands that “when one family member is diagnosed with Cancer, the entire family has the disease.” The first-hand experience bore by Patrick and his two sisters as they coped with the fight and eventual passing of their mom from Cancer outfitted them with this deep awareness and inspired them to found this unique and ground-breaking Cancer center.
Located in Lewiston, Maine, the center offers informative and emotionally supportive programs for all those fighting Cancer, whether it be directly or indirectly. The programs are not only “free” but highly enlightened and empowering, addressing the enormously personal and intimate aspects of Cancer from all sides and points of concern. And amidst all of this movement is a garden, named for Amanda -- blooming with hope for all those who now find themselves walking in the Dempsey family’s shoes.
Mary Dempsey, one of Patrick’s sisters, works at the center, but the entire family remains deeply involved -- a touching tribute which keeps Amanda Dempsey’s memory and spirit alive through every client and family member The Patrick Dempsey Cancer Center for Hope & Healing helps.
I cite this story because, as mothers, many times we forget how important we are, especially as our particular contributions usually don’t show themselves till well into the future. Amanda Dempsey’s story, however succinctly put, reminds us of just how imperative and meaningful we are to our children’s lives and, in turn, to society. Unfortunately, we don’t hear enough of these stories to remind us of this truth. For this reason, alone, I wanted to share a very special one with you at Mother’s Day.
As we celebrate the holiday, let us clearly remember why exactly we are doing so.
Happy Mother’s Day, Everyone!
Many thanks to the Dempsey Family and the team at The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing for making this article possible