(NewsNation) — Eric Dane was seen in a wheelchair during a recent outing, just months after he disclosed his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The former “Grey’s Anatomy” actor was at an airport in Washington, D.C, where he shared a message to his fans amid his health struggles, according to the Daily Mail.
“Keep the faith, man,” he said.
Dane was in D.C. with the nonprofit I AM ALS to advocate for research and assistance for those suffering with ALS, according to CNN.
In a video shared on Rep. Eric Stalwell’s TikTok, Dane is speaking with the congressman about neurodegenerative disease.
“ALS is the last thing they want to diagnose anybody with,” the “Euphoria” actor said. “It so often takes all this time for these people to be diagnosed. Well, then it precludes them from being part of these clinical trials.”
Adding, “That’s why Act for ALS is so great because it broadens the access for everybody.”
Dane shared his hopes for the future, telling Stalwell that he will fight to his “last breath” to experience family milestones with his daughters, Billie and Georgia, whom he shares with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart.
“I have two daughters at home. I want to see them, you know, graduate college, and get married and maybe have grandkids,” Dane said. “You know, I want to be there for all that. So I’m going to fight to the last breath on this one.”
Eric Dane reveals ALS diagnosis
Dane was diagnosed in April after he went through nine months of testing for symptoms that started around a year and a half ago. His first symptom was weakness in his right hand.
During the interview, he said, “I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was fatigued, but a few weeks later, I noticed it got a little worse. So I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist. I went and saw a neurologist, and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist and said, ‘This is way above my pay grade.’”
The “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” star told Diane Sawyer in an interview with “Good Morning America” that he only has “one functioning arm” and that his left arm is also getting weaker.
“I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering,” he said.
Eric Dane misses the Emmy’s due to ALS
Dane was scheduled to present the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series award on the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, presenting alongside his former “Grey’s Anatomy” costar Jessie Williams, according to NewsNation’s Paula Froelich.
However, Williams ended up presenting the award alone because Dane’s ALS symptoms worsened.
A source told Froelich that, in addition to Dane losing use of his arm, he is also experiencing speech difficulties, which rendered his Emmys appearance impossible.