Patrick Swayze has died

Patrick Swayze has died, and it’s such sad news. I was really hoping he’d be able to beat the odds. Having lost my dad to pancreatic cancer, I know the odds aren’t great with that disease. Swayze was only 57.

“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," said a statement just released by his publicist, Annett Wolf. No other details were given.

We first learned of his illness in March 2008, but he kept working despite the diagnosis and pain, writing a memoir with his wife, Lisa Niemi, and shooting “The Beast” TV series for A&E. Some reports earlier this year gave him an optimistic prognosis, and he fought a hard battle, telling Barbara Walters that he wasn’t going to give up.

"I’d say five years is pretty wishful thinking," Swayze told Walters in early 2009. "Two years seems likely, if you’re going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I’d better get a fire under it."

He danced his way into our hearts as bad-boy Johnny Castle in “Dirty Dancing,” and we’ll never forget that romantic spinning wheel scene with Demi Moore in “Ghost.”

My heart goes out to his wife and family during this sad time.

Image: Pacific Coast News; Source: ABC News