Patrick Swayze's family offers thanks to fans

By M&C People Mar 13, 2008, 12:20 GMT

Patrick Swayze giving a press conference in Warsaw, Poland. Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his agent has confirmed. The 55-year-old is currently undergoing treatment and is continuing with his filming schedule. EPA/Jacek Turczyk POLAND OUT

The shocking news that Patrick Swayze was confirmed to be battling pancreatic cancer has opened a flood-gate of Swayze's fans and celebrity well-wishes and prayers for hope.  The outpouring has prompted his family to speak to the media.

Although Patrick Swayze is keeping mum since the news about his cancer broke out, the actor's mother, among other family members and friends, spoke out about his illness.

"He doesn’t deserve to get this," Patrick’s 81-year-old mother, Patsy, told the National Enquirer. "He just doesn’t deserve it. He’s got such a big heart. He’s been such a good and generous and thoughtful person. It breaks my heart to know he’s suffering. But he bears it and he’s determined to beat this. He’s hanging in there and getting the best treatment he can."

Patrick's brother spoke to People magazine regarding the actor's current health challenge.

"I was looking in his eyes and I didn't see a flicker (of fear)," when Swayze was discussing his options during a conference call five weeks ago, brother Don, also an actor, tells People magazine.

His bother noted the fit actor looked slightly underweight but otherwise just fine.

"It was almost like, 'Hey, it's time to get a checkup anyway; this would be a good time,' " Don says. The diagnosis "came out of left field because it seemed like he would know if there was something really drastic."

People reports that Swayze, 55, and his wife, Lisa Niemi, 51, upon finding out the bad news took some time to process their options.

"But he's moving forward," says Maria Scouros, a Houston oncologist who is married to Lisa's brother, Edmond. "Both of them are very focused on doing what they have to do, following through with his medical team's recommendations so he can have a good outcome."

Niemi, a licensed pilot, flies her husband from Los Angeles to Northern California, where he is being treated at Stanford University Medical Center. Swayze is having a four-week cycle of chemotherapy combined with the experimental drug Vatalanib to cut off the blood supply to the tumor to shrink it, People reports.

"I'm buying him gourmet chicken pot pies and we're putting them in the blender," Don says. "He kept his weight up, and now he's back on solid foods."