Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi sat down with Barbara Walters for an exclusive interview that was broadcast last night. Entitled Barbara Walters Special-Patrick Swayze: The Truth, the special aired on January 7 at 10/9 on ABC.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008 and underwent chemotherapy treatments at Stanford University Medical Center. He tells Barbara “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. Yeah, I’m angry. Yeah, I’m scared.”
He is perhaps best known for his role as dance instructor Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing. He also appeared in the 1990 movie Ghost with Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. His newest television show, The Beast on A&E premieres on January 15. The episodes were filmed while he was undergoing cancer treatment.
UPDATE: Patrick Swayze died on September 14, 2009. The full interview will air on Tuesday night September 15 in a Barbara Walters special – see film clip below.
Since the show aired, Swayze has been hospitalized with pneumonia.
Life is a journey here on earth as a gift from God. We can enjoy helping people and paying it forward, or we can feel sorry for our selves. Patrick Sawyze’s and his interview with Barbara Walters gives myself and other people who have major health problems the courage and strength to face another tomorrow and to be strong even with much pain in our lives and body. I also take the stand to try to leave something positive behind to the people I love. I try not to waste my time on people who don’t care, I try to leave positive seeds for them and be strong and when my time is over in my journey, I may help someone to face their pain. God Bless Patrick and his wife.
I have been one of your greatest fans. Ever since Orry Main jumped out at me in North and South, I have known you are special. But seeing this interview, I know your greatest fan is your loving, and sweet wife. And I truly believe it will be that person who saves you.Lean on her. She is very strong, and wants you to stay with her. Let that be what your fight is about.
God bless you both.
When I saw you on the Outsiders and Next of Kin, I thought this dude is not only good looking, fit, but so damn down to earth and cool. You, man, are one heck of an inspiration to anyone who is fighting against anything. I could not even walk one foot in your boots, but I sure wish I could be your friend, not only to talk to, but just to give me the grit you have, and maybe it could pass on to me. I respect you and your wife so much, the strength, love, and determination you both possess make me just in awe, I salute you, my friend.
I wonder why Barbara Walters did not ask Patrick Swayze about CyberKnife?
Here is a source most will agree is credible.
From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School…
“More than 50,000 people, including Actor Patrick Swayze, have turned to it to treat hard to reach cancers. Cyberknife RadioSurgery uses real-time, image-guided robotics to accurately target tumors and lesions that may otherwise be untreatable.
“‘This is a real breakthrough,’ says says Dr. Anand Mahadevan, of the Keith C. Field Cyberknife Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the first center in New England to offer Cyberknife therapy. ‘In the past, we’ve been limited to how much radiation we can give to treat cancers because it scatters around the tumor and causes collateral damage to nearby structures. This therapy pinpoints the exact location, sparing surrounding tissue.’”
I became a Patrick Swayze fan 20 years ago when Dirty Dancing was released. I was 13 years old and saw the type of man I wanted to marry….Through years of love, joy, heart ache and diappointment I still watch Dirty Dancing…You are a braze, courageous soldier…Please keep Rock and Rollin’ and thank you for telling the world that true love and the way to live and keep living.
Life is a miracle, enjoy your day :)
Thank you for sharing your fight. I know that this is a private matter but as a stage 4 colon cancer patient I wanted to let you know that you really encouraged me. I was diagnosed nearly 3 years ago and have undergone almost 3 years of treatment. I am so inspired by your fight. Keep fighting. You ARE a miracle. Life is a miracle and worth every day of fighting. Thank you.
I am so glad that you have the courage to stand up to cancer and speak out.. We were also in great shock when my son age 34 this year- David, was told he has terminal non hodgkins Lymphoma in 2007.. Notice I said he was told.. God can do anything,period. My son has a lot of work to still do here like raise his only child who has already lost her mother. you also have work to do and going on t.v. with your story is just one of the thing’s. never give in, Never give up hope..
God be with you and your’s.
patsy
arlington tx.