Cassandra King: Pat Conroy facing cancer ‘with great courage’

Best-selling author Pat Conroy of Beaufort is facing treatment for pancreatic cancer with great courage, his wife said Wednesday evening.

Cassandra King posted on her Facebook page that she has been overwhelmed by expressions of kindness and love since Conroy was diagnosed with cancer earlier this month.

"I know you all will understand if you do not hear from me for a while as we move forward with the necessary and various medical treatments," King wrote. "Pat, as you might expect, is facing this ordeal with great courage and with real gratitude to his doctors who have been so wonderful to us.”

"He needs lots of rest and I intend to make sure he gets everything he needs through this ordeal,” King continued. "Your understanding and your thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated by our family."

Conroy celebrated his 70th birthday with a weekend festival in Beaufort at the end of October.