For years, Eric Dane was best known as Dr. “McSteamy,” the charismatic Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, captivating fans with his charm and confidence.

But in April 2025, the 52-year-old star revealed he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – a progressive, incurable neurological disease more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – launching him into a heartbreaking health battle off-screen.

“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he told People at the time. Expressing his gratitude to his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters – Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13 – the star of Euphoria added, “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next…I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

Fatal disease

Over time, ALS robs patients of the ability to walk, speak, and even breathe independently.

ALS “often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech,” the Mayo Clinic explains. “Eventually ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease.”

While survival time varies, the disease has taken the lives of many high-profile figures, including actress Sandra Bullock’s longtime partner Bryan Randall in 2023 and SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg in 2018.

One of the most well-known people to live with ALS was physicist Stephen Hawking, who defied the odds by surviving more than five decades before his death in 2018.

ALS treatment advocacy

Despite the devastating diagnosis, Dane has vowed to keep fighting. Recently he traveled to Washington, D.C., advocating for more research and support for neurodegenerative diseases, CNN reports.

While meeting with U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell of California, Dane – slurring his speech – described ALS as “the last thing they want to diagnose anybody with,” underscoring the devastating reality of the disease.