Of course, it helps when friends are also television stars.

The story of Patty, her friendship with these sea-faring folks, and how they came to help her and her father started five years ago, when Patty reached out to Josh Harris, captain of the vessel the Cornelia Marie.

“His father, Phil Harris, passed away after suffering from a pulmonary embolism, which he then had complications from,” Patty said. “(Those complications) caused a massive stroke, leading to his death.”

Patty had been a fan of the reality television show — which follows fishermen as they battle the dangerous northern waters during crab season — from its pilot episode, and felt that it was important for Josh and his brother Jake to know that their father’s condition is hereditary. They needed to get tested. Patty knew this because she had gone through it herself.

Patty with reality TV stars of the “Deadliest Catch.”

“I too suffered from pulmonary embolisms several times,” she said, noting that she fell ill after the birth of each of her children.

What started as a well-intentioned message from a caring fan turned into much more. Patty and the Harris brothers kept up their correspondence, a friendship formed, and now, she travels to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, every year to spend time with them as they prepare to venture out for king crab season.

“(Then) I made friends with the guys from the other (crab fishing) boats, too,” Patty explained. “They’re all great guys (and) this year I actually did a bunch of cooking for the crews on (the vessels) the Northwestern and the Cornelia Marie.”

Patty even got one of the captains hooked on sea glass hunting.

“While I am out there I comb the beaches for sea glass from the Bering Sea, bring them home and make jewelry and art work with them. I sell them at Lady of the Lake (in downtown Fredonia). I also got Captain Keith Colburn of the Wizard interested in the sea glass search, which is now a hobby for him, and we both enjoy (that) together.”

Pictured are Patty Valentine and her father, Meredith “Zeke” Valentine, who is battling Multiple Myeloma, bone marrow cancer, bone cancer, and end stage renal failure.

Patty said the sea glass treasures found along the Alaska coast have sad origins.

“All that sea glass is from the shipwrecks,” she said. “There have been 35 shipwrecks in the Bering Sea in the last five years alone. Think of a whole house going down — all the plates, all the glasses, the china — all of it broken and then rolled smooth by the sea.”

Patty has always had a close relationship with her father, Zeke Valentine, and said it’s not just she who thinks so highly of him. He’s been a pillar of the local community for the last several decades and worked in the Sheriff’s Department for 20 years.

“He retired in 1992,” she said. “He is also a retired grape farmer and he owned a grape harvesting business, Valentine Farms, and raised and showed American quarter horses. He was very active in the American Legion for many years, making it all the way up to 8th District commander.”

But cancer doesn’t care how loved a person is, or how much he’s done for the community. When Zeke became ill, Patty thought she should cancel her trip to Alaska scheduled for earlier this fall. Her dad had other ideas.

“My father, my best friend, insisted I not miss my trip and told me not to cancel on his account, so with great reluctance I went. After arriving in Dutch Harbor and meeting up with all my friends from ‘Deadliest Catch’ I explained that I almost didn’t make it due to my father’s illness. They quickly asked what they could do to help!” she said.

So, the guys who were more used to battling freezing temperatures, icy conditions and gale-force winds found themselves helping a dear friend’s father battle cancer. They told Patty they wanted to help raise money for Zeke’s expensive medical care.

“Before I knew it, they all pulled together and donated items so that I could have a fundraiser for my father to help with his medical expenses,” Patty said. “The Northwestern, Cornelia Marie and Time Bandit gave me autographed t-shirts, and I was also given ‘Deadliest Catch’ t-shirts. (I got) books ‘The Northwestern’ and ‘Phil Harris’ to raffle off, too. I cannot be thankful enough to my great friends, the captains of the Cornelia Marie, the Northwestern, the Time Bandit and the Wizard.”

Patty has the autographed items on display at Lady of the Lake at 29 W. Main St. in Fredonia. (She organizes the artists’ co-op, working there to promote her artwork and that of the 19 other artists who have pieces in the shop.) Raffle tickets cost $5 each, and the drawing will be Dec. 21. “Deadliest Catch” t-shirts are also for sale there.

“All proceeds from the raffle will go to offset my father’s medical procedure and medication expenses,” Patty said. “A basket raffle and ‘Deadliest Catch’ T-shirt tickets will also be for sale at the craft show ‘The Last Minute Christmas Shop’ on Dec. 17 at the Evans Center Fire Hall, Route 5, Angola from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

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