Jamie Dornan’s emotional pancreatic cancer plea sparked by loss of mum
Northern Ireland actor Jamie Dornan has spoken out about the “huge and devastating impact” pancreatic cancer had on his life after his mother died from the illness when he was a teenager.
The Co Down-born actor, who is best known for portraying Christian Grey in the 50 Shades of Grey movies and serial killer Paul Spector in hit TV show The Fall, was just 16 when his mum, Lorna, passed away in July 1998 aged 50.
In a bid to raise awareness about the disease and its symptoms, Mr Dornan made a video about his personal experience for Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer (NIPanC).
“It’s a devastating form of cancer. The survival rate is very poor. In Northern Ireland alone which is a country that’s only got 1.7 million people in it, 250 people die a year from pancreatic cancer, which is a pretty staggering figure,” he said.
Mr Dornan, a patron of the charity since 2018, continued: “We’re trying to raise as much money as we possibly can to help fund research into this awful illness and see if we can get those numbers down.”
Revealing that he is planning a fundraising event for the charity, he thanked his fans for donating to the cause.
“Even a small amount of money goes a long way in helping raise awareness,” he said.