Mar 12, 2008, 13:35 GMT
Patrick Dempsey unveiled a cancer center in his name in Maine on Monday (10.02.08).
Patrick Dempsey smiles during a press conference promoting US film director Kevin Lima's latest movie 'Enchanted' in Tokyo, Japan, 03 March 2008. The Walt Disney Pictures production will be screened in Japan from 14 March. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON
The actor - who shot to fame playing Dr. Derek Shepherd in the hit US TV show 'Grey's Anatomy' - was inspired to launch The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing at the Central Maine Medical Center after his mother battled ovarian cancer.
He said: "For a family to get a cancer diagnosis is devastating, and all the information out there can be overwhelming. A lot of the websites I went to just didn't have enough information.
"So I talked to my sister about a place where people could go for all this type of information and help. Knowledge is power."
Patrick, whose character is nicknamed 'Dr. McDreamy' on the show, will also take part in the centre's education campaign about how to prevent and detect cancer.
His sister Mary, who currently works at the hospital, will run the centre.
Patrick has a six-year-old daughter Tallulah and twin one-year-old sons Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick with Jillian Fink, his wife of eight years.
(C) BANG Media International
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