Eric Dane Explained in detail about the early signs of his ALS diagnosis In his memoir, The Book of My Days: A Memoir in MomentsHe would be released approximately nine months after his death.
“I’m eating sushi with my kids and suddenly I can’t work the chopsticks with my right hand. There’s a tingling sensation in my hand, and then my fingers go numb,” Dane wrote, according to a book excerpt about his symptoms that first appeared on January 7, 2024. People On Sunday, October 18. “Some kind of weird nervous thing, I guess. I brush it off. I’m probably texting too much. Three weeks later, it happens again, even worse. I can’t hold chopsticks at all.”
After nine months of searching for answers, Dane was diagnosed with ALS. Excitement The actor immediately sought support from his estranged wife. Rebecca Gayheart. (Gayheart withdrew her petition for divorce amid Dan’s ALS battle, which she publicly confirmed in April 2025.)
“We were married 14 years, we separated, filed for divorce, but never got around to signing the papers,” he recalled in an excerpt from the book by Gayheart, now 55. “I don’t remember a single word being said after that.”
Dan continued, “I just remember feeling a violent impact, like the wind was knocked out of me, and Rebecca moaning on the other end of the phone, and then I really lose it, and my sobs shake my body, and I hear her words through her tears, ‘I’m here, we’ll fight this together, I’m not going anywhere.'”
Dane, whose daughters were Billie and Georgia jawbreaker actress, Immediately resolved to fight the disease.
“I’m going to take it. I’m going to fight. I’m going to show my girls how to live this life with decency and dignity no matter what,” he wrote. “I’m going to fight. This has become my purpose. My cause. This is my job now.”
den died in february At the age of 53.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Dan passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS.” gray’s anatomy The alum’s family said in a shared statement We. “He spent his final days surrounded by loving friends, his devoted wife and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”
The obituary states, “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle. He will be deeply missed and always lovingly remembered. Eric loved his fans and is forever grateful for the love and support he received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
The Book of My Days: A Memoir in Moments Will be released on Tuesday, November 3.