Providing family support is part of The Patrick Dempsey Center mission Cancer seldom happens to just one person. It happens to couples, families, and friends. The complex emotions that follow a cancer diagnosis can be as overwhelming for family members and friends as they are for the person with cancer. The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing provides support and information to help everyone affected by a cancer diagnosis cope, heal, and even grow as they face the disease‚ and challenge.