Eric Dane reveals he has ‘one functioning arm,' daughter had to rescue him from drowning due to ALS diagnosis
The 'Grey's Anatomy' alum, 52, spoke about his health battle on 'Good Morning America' Monday in his first interview since his diagnosis, telling Diane Sawyer that he now has only 'one functioning arm.'
'My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working,' Dane explained. '[My left arm] is going. I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won't have my left hand either. It's sobering.'
9 Eric Dane during his interview with Diane Sawyer on 'Good Morning America.'
ABC
9 Diane Sawyer interviewing Eric Dane.
ABC
Dane revealed that he started having symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease that affects muscle movement a year and a half ago when he had weakness in his right hand. He underwent nine months of testing before getting his diagnosis in April.
'I didn't really think anything of it at the time,' Dane told Sawyer, 79. '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.'
9 Eric Dane has lost control of his right arm due to ALS.
ABC
9 Eric Dane at the 'Euphoria' FYC event in Los Angeles in April 2022.
Matt Baron/Shutterstock
'So I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist,' he recalled. 'I went and saw a neurologist and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist and said, 'This is way above my pay grade.''
'I will never forget those three letters,' Dane said of receiving his ALS diagnosis. 'It's on me the second I wake up. It's not a dream.'
9 Eric Dane on 'Grey's Anatomy' in 2008.
ABC
The 'Marley & Me' star also recounted the time that he lost functionality in his legs while he was snorkeling, which led to one of his daughters having to rescue him.
'She dragged me back to the boat,' said Dane. 'I was like, breaking down in tears. I made sure she got back to the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling. I was just heart broken.'
9 Eric Dane with his wife Rebecca Gayheart and their daughters at the 16th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in June 2017.
Matt Winkelmeyer
Dane shares two daughters, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13, with his wife Rebecca Gayheart.
The couple got married in 2004. Gayheart, 53, filed for divorce in 2018, but in March, just one month before Dane revealed his diagnosis, she dismissed the divorce.
9 Eric Dane with his wife and two daughters in August 2022.
rebeccagayheartdane/Instagram
9 Eric Dane with his daughters Billie Beatrice Dane and Georgia Geraldine Dane at the 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' premiere in May 2024.
FilmMagic
Dane noted Gayheart's support on 'GMA' and said that he talks to her everyday as got choked up.
'We have managed to become better friends and better parents,' he shared. 'She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter. And I lean on her.'
9 Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart at the 2015 Baby2Baby Gala.
Stefanie Keenan
Dane went on to say, 'I'm fighting as much as I can. There's so much about it that's out of my control. I'm angry because, you know, 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.'
'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,' he added. 'They're loved. They know it.'
Despite his ALS battle, Dane is continuing to film 'Euphoria' Season 3. He has played Cal Jacobs on the HBO series since 2019.
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