Eric Dane abruptly withdrew from an ALS event just weeks before his death at age 53.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum was scheduled to attend the ALS Network’s Champions for Treatment and Care Gala on Saturday, Jan. 24, to receive the Advocate of the Year award.
However, Dane was “not healthy enough” to participate in the event “due to the physical realities of ALS.”
An ALS Network spokesperson told People at the time that it was “deeply grateful” for Dane’s “courage, advocacy and continued commitment to the ALS community.”
The group also pledged to honor Mr Dane with “deep respect and support” at the event.
Broadway actor Aaron Lazar, who also has ALS, accepted the award on Dane’s behalf.
ALS Network announced in September that Dane had won the Advocate of the Year award, crediting the “Euphoria” actor for bringing “international attention to ALS” through his “leadership and compassion.”
“This award is more than just an honor, it is a reflection of the incredible strength and courage I see every day in the ALS community,” Dane said in a statement at the time.
From the time he announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025 until his death on Thursday, Dane worked to spread awareness about the disease to help others.
“I think it’s essential to share my journey with as many people as possible because I feel like my life is no longer my own,” he said during a virtual panel discussion with I AM ALS in December.
“And I’m a pretty selfish person, so that’s something I’ve had to wrestle with. I want to spend my life on my own, but I can’t do that. If I were, I don’t think I could ever move on,” Dane added.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a “neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,” causing “loss of muscle control” and progressing over time.
There is no cure.
In a June 2025 interview with Good Morning America, Dane revealed that his first ALS symptoms were weakness in his right hand.
“I thought maybe I was texting too much or my hands were tired. But after a few weeks, I noticed that my symptoms were getting a little worse,” he told Diane Sawyer.
Dane was confined to a wheelchair and only had the use of one arm until his death.
In a statement to People, his family revealed that Dane “spent his final days surrounded by his loving friends, devoted wife, and two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”
They added that during Dane’s ALS journey, he “became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle.”
Dane is married to Rebecca Gayheart and they have two daughters.
The couple called off their divorce after Dane’s diagnosis.
