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Eric Dane has gone public with something very personal and potentially very painful.
The actor has been diagnosed with ALS.
The former Grey’s Anatomy star, who has been a consistent and successful television presence for many years, confirmed this condition himself via a statement to People Magazine.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane told the outlet late on April 10. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
He added:
“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.”
The 52-year old is is married to Rebecca Gayheart and the spouses share two children: Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
Dane starred in 139 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Mark Sloan.
His other major credits include Euphoria, The Last Ship and last year’s big screen hit, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
On the beloved HBO drama, Dane plays Cal Jacobs, the strict father to Jacob Elordi’s character Nate Jacobs. He will begin shooting his role for the long-developing third season on April 14.
ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease because the Hall of Fame New York Yankees first baseman passed away from it in 1941.
The prognosis for someone with this rare degenerative disease — which causes progressive paralysis of the muscles — is not typically positive.
Those with ALC first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, often followed by slurred speech.
According to the Mayo Clinic, because the disease affects the nerve cells in the brain and spine that control muscle movement, patients slowly lose their ability to speak, eat, walk, and breathe independently.
There’s no cure for the disease and the Muscular Dystrophy Association states that patients typically survive only three to five years after diagnosis, although some can live decades.
Sadly, they do not often live in very comfortable circumstances.
In addition to Eric Dane, other notable celebrities who have been diagnosed with ALS include Aaron Lazar, John Driskell Hopkins, Eric Stevens, Joe Bonsall, Roberta Flack, Kenneth Mitchell and Stephen Hawking.
We are sending our thoughts and prayers to Eric Dane and his loved ones.
