Eric Dane Says Family Is His ‘First Priority’ Amid ALS Battle as He Searches for ‘Solutions’

Eric Dane is devoted to raising awareness about ALS while battling the disease.

“Obviously, I have a family at home and they’re the first priority, but this is such a big deal to me to make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what it’s about and, more importantly, what we can do to combat it and improve the landscape,” Dane, 53, shared during a Tuesday, December 2, virtual panel discussion in collaboration with advocacy organization I AM ALS, for which Dane is an ambassador.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, often causing loss of muscle control. The disease progressively gets worse over time and does not have a cure.

The Grey’s Anatomy actor, who announced his diagnosis earlier this year, noted that even though “the landscape” is “so rocky and littered with hurdles and bureaucracy and all this other nonsense that we’re trying to sift through,” he wants to find a way “where we can start working on solutions” for ALS.

After giving out a shout-out to I AM ALS cofounders Sandra Abrevaya and Brian Wallach, Dane praised events like the panel discussion for bringing so much awareness to the disease.

“I think it’s so fantastic that we can get this out to people, let them know that, well, this is what it looks like,” he explained.

Later in his panel interview, Dane candidly admitted he has “no reason to be in a good spirit at any time on any given day” but was “pleasantly surprised to realize” he isn’t “built like that.”

“[It’s] very encouraging,” he noted. “It’s encouraging for me to know that I actually can have a buoyant spirit in the face of something so horrible.”

In April, Dane announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS.

“I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” he shared in a statement to People, referring to daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, whom he shares with estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

Dane’s family has continued to rally around him, with Gayheart, 54, calling off their divorce nearly six years after filing.

“I talk to her every day,” Dane shared in a Good Morning America interview in June. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents and she is my — probably my biggest champion. My most stalwart supporter. And I lean on her.”

Dane has continued to focus on his family, noting that he is “fighting as much” as he can.

“There’s so much about it that’s out of my control,” he explained to Diane Sawyer. “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. … They’re loved. They know it.”