Steve and Mia: Should she date terminally ill man?, By Steve and Mia, Daily News Advice Columnists, Philadelphia Daily News, March 20, 2009

Q: I am 20 years old, and I have been talking to a guy for a few months. We became great friends, and he has recently told me that he has strong feelings for me.

I am very attracted to him, but I have found out that he is terminally ill. He told me that he has an illness that will only allow him to live for a couple of more years.

As much as I want to be there for him, I am not sure if I am willing to put myself through this. I get sad when I think about it, because if he wasn’t sick, I really believe that I would be with him. I have mixed emotions about the whole situation, and I am not sure what to do. He keeps pushing me to make a decision.

Mia: Wow. I’m really sorry. That’s a tough situation. But if you don’t think you can handle this, then you should be upfront with this guy and give him space to pursue other people. It’s not fair for you to leave him hanging.

Steve: Your decision should not be based on his illness. For one thing, he might live a lot longer than you think. Hey, ’50s singer Bobby Darin was told his bad heart would kill him in his teens, but he made it to 37.

Also, I don’t like that he’s “pushing” you to make a decision. If it doesn’t feel 100 percent right to you, tell him he needs to look elsewhere for a girlfriend.