His one great love, the soul mate he met when they were teens, Lisa Niemi has been by his side every step of his battle...

As one of Hollywood's leading heartthrobs, Patrick Swayze literally had his pick of the world's most beautiful women › but even at the height of his fame, he only had eyes for his one true love.

So strong is their bond, that Patrick says he wouldn't have been able to fight his battle with pancreatic cancer without Lisa Niemi, 52, by his side.

In an emotional interview with US talk show host Barbara Walters, the actor told how Lisa's faith in him made him believe he could fight the terrible disease ravaging his body.

"I don't think I can handle what I'm going through if it weren't for her," Patrick, 56, told Barbara this month. "I have no greater respect for any other human being on this earth like I have for her. This journey ... she's helped me get through it ... you can feel a real power, a real chemistry between us, like we're soul mates."

Shortly after the interview Patrick took a turn for the worse. Struck down with pneumonia, he was hospitalised within days of appearing on TV and, at the time of going to press, was fighting a renewed battle.

Patrick's mother Patsy told a US magazine that her son sounded "really upbeat and positive", and was "doing fine".