Eric Dane’s Heartbreaking ALS Journey: From “Texting Too Much” to Losing an Arm

I can’t even imagine what Eric Dane must be going through right now. You know him best as McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy, right? Well, back in April, the 52-year-old got hit with a devastating ALS diagnosis—amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, that brutal neurodegenerative disease. He’s been pretty open about it all, sharing bits and pieces in interviews, and it’s heartbreaking to follow.

When the news first broke, Eric told People magazine how thankful he was for his family’s support during this tough time. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” he said.

Since then, he’s called ALS a “nasty” disease, and who could blame him? In October, he had to bail on the Grey’s reunion at the Emmys because of a nasty fall that landed him in the hospital for stitches. He was gutted about missing it, but as he put it, “there was nothing I could do about it.”

Just last week, paparazzi caught him out in West Hollywood grabbing sushi with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their 13-year-old daughter, Georgia. He was in a wheelchair but looked like he was keeping his chin up, dressed casually in a black tee and beige pants, according to PageSix. They’ve got another daughter, 15-year-old Billie, and Rebecca opened up to People in September about how hard it’s been on the kids. “It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “My girls are really suffering, and we’re just trying to get through it. It’s a tough time.”

Eric’s been candid about how it all started. On Good Morning America in June, he talked about the first signs he noticed—weakness in his right hand. At first, he brushed it off, thinking, “Maybe I’ve been texting too much or it’s just tired.” But when it didn’t go away and got worse, he saw a hand specialist, who referred him to another, and eventually neurologists got involved. They basically said it was out of their league.

It took nine long months to get the diagnosis. Now, a year after those initial symptoms, Eric’s dealing with major loss of function. “I have one functioning arm,” he explained. His dominant right side has completely stopped working, and his left is starting to go too. “I feel like a couple few more months and I won’t have my left either,” he added. “It is sobering.”

Stories like this really put things in perspective, don’t they? Sending all the positive vibes to Eric and his family as they face this. Have you been following his journey, or does anyone close to you deal with something similar? Share in the comments if you’re comfortable.