Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria star Eric Dane has shared a shattering health update following his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.
The actor, 52, first shared his medical diagnosis in April, stating that he’s still able to continue working while navigating life with ALS. The neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects both motor neurons and the spinal cord. It is a progressive disease that causes muscle weakness, which leads to gradual paralysis. Early symptoms include stiffness and speech difficulties. There is currently no cure for ALS, with only a treatment strategy aimed at managing symptoms. These include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.
What is Eric Dane’s latest health update on his ALS diagnosis?
In an emotional interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Dane opened up about his ALS diagnosis. He said that his symptoms first showed up when he began to experience weakness in his right hand. After nine excruciating months, he was diagnosed with an incurable disease. “I will never forget those three letters,” said Dane. “It’s on me the second I wake up. It’s not a dream.”
“I have one functioning arm. My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working,” the actor said, adding that he can feel his left arm getting weaker over time and worries that his legs might experience the same thing next. “I feel like maybe a couple few more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering.”
Once a competitive swimmer, the actor recalled the day his daughter had to save him out of the water after realizing he no longer had the energy to swim. “I realized in that moment, I’m not safe in the water anymore,” said the actor. “[My daughter] dragged me back to the boat. I was like, breaking down in tears. So I made sure she got back to the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling with the guide. But I was just heartbroken.”
He fought back tears talking about his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents. She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her.”
Gayheart and Dane separated after their long marriage, though Gayheart ultimately withdrew her divorce petition. Both of them remained good friends and continued to co-parent their two daughters.
“I don’t think this is the end of my story. In my heart, I don’t feel like this is the end of me. I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control,” said the actor.
The actor, who lost his father to suicide at a young age, says that he’s “very” angry about his diagnosis, especially at the thought of also leaving his children too early in their lives: “I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re very young.”
He continued, “At the end of the day, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can.”
Dane is returning as Cal Jacobs in Euphoria Season 3 and has already finished filming the upcoming crime drama series Countdown.