Eric Dane Breaks Down in Tears Over ALS Diagnosis: ‘I Don’t Think This Is the End of My Story’
“I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,” the actor says
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Eric Dane.Credit : Momodu Mansaray/Getty
Eric Dane is having his first sit-down interview since revealing that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
On Thursday, June 12, the 52-year-old actor appeared in a teaser clip for an upcoming segment on Good Morning America, speaking about his health with Diane Sawyer.
“I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,” he told Sawyer. “It’s not a dream.”
The 30-second clip shows Dane and Sawyer holding hands as they talk about life following his diagnosis. It ends with the Euphoria star breaking down in tears, showing a glimpse at how emotional the conversation will be.
“I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me,” he said.
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Dane first revealed his ALS diagnosis exclusively with PEOPLE in April.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he shared. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
The actor is married to Rebecca Gayheart and the couple share two children, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
“I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time,” he told PEOPLE.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles. Patients 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 ALS, and people usually live three to five years after diagnosis, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. However, some patients can live decades
