For years, his face was synonymous with charm on American television. Eric Dane, the actor who brought to life the unforgettable Dr. McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy, has gone public with a diagnosis that offers no cure—but many questions. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, has transformed his life. But Dane is not giving up.

“I don’t think this is the end of my story,” the actor said in an interview aired Monday on ABC News’ Good Morning America.

In April, Dane revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS after a long stretch of medical consultations. It all began with a slight weakness in his right hand, something he initially attributed to fatigue. “I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was fatigued,” he recalled. But as the weeks went by, the deterioration became clear. What followed was a journey through multiple specialists, until nine months later, he received the diagnosis that would change his life.

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively destroys motor neurons. It affects a person’s ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. “I’ll never forget those three letters,” he said. “It’s on me the second I wake up. It’s not a dream.”

At 52, Dane spoke with honesty and vulnerability. He shared that only one of his arms is still functional, and he fears that the other will soon lose mobility as well. “I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won’t have my left hand either.” Though he is still able to walk, he worries constantly about losing strength in his legs. Alongside the fear, there is anger. “I’m angry because 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.”

His personal history gives that fear an added emotional weight. Dane’s father died by suicide when he was only seven years old. Now, as the father of two teenage daughters, he faces the painful possibility that history might repeat itself in a different form.

In the interview, Dane recounted a heartbreaking moment during a boat trip with his youngest daughter. Once a competitive swimmer and water polo player, he jumped into the ocean—only to realize he could no longer generate enough strength to return to the boat. “I jumped into the ocean that day and realized I couldn’t swim and generate enough power to get myself back to the boat. I thought, ‘Oh god.’” It was his daughter who rescued him.

The experience shattered him. But even in that moment of anguish, he made sure his daughter wouldn’t carry that memory with her. “I made sure she got back in the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling. But I was just heartbroken.”

In the midst of this struggle, Dane has found comfort in someone important: Rebecca Gayheart, his former partner and the mother of his daughters. Though they were once separated, they now maintain a close and supportive relationship. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents. She is my biggest champion and most stalwart supporter.”

News of his diagnosis was first shared in an interview with People and later covered by The New York Times, which highlighted not only his career but also his resolve to keep going. Despite his physical decline, Dane plans to return to the set of Euphoria, where he plays Cal Jacobs. He also has a new series on the way: Countdown.

His response to the disease defies the stereotypes often associated with ALS. Rather than retreating, he chose to be visible. Rather than stopping, he plans to move forward. “There’s so much about it that’s out of my control… All I want to do is spend time with my family, work a little if I can, and make sure that I tell them that I love them every day.”

Stories like his put a human face on a disease that, according to Good Morning America, affects around 5,000 people each year in the United States. And while the famous Ice Bucket Challenge raised $200 million a decade ago, the path to a cure remains long.

Amid it all, Dane holds onto something that transcends his acting career: “I don’t feel like this is the end of me.”

Eric Dane is sharing a heartbreaking moment amid his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.

On Monday, June 16, the Euphoria actor, 52, was interviewed by Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America and opened up about his ALS diagnosis. Dane, who was once a competitive swimmer and a water polo star, shared that he had a scary moment recently when he was in the water with one of his daughters.

“When I jumped in the ocean that day and realized I couldn’t swim [or] generate enough power to get myself back to the boat, I thought, ‘Oh, God,’ ” Dane recalls. “And then I realized in that moment I’m not safe in the water anymore.”

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In a voice-over, Sawyer explains that his daughter had to race to her dad’s rescue. “She dragged me back in the boat,” Dane says.

“What did you say to each other?” Sawyer asks.

“I was like breaking down in tears, so I made sure she got back in the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling with the guide,” the dad of two says. “But I was just heartbroken.”

Dane shares his daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, with wife Rebecca Gayheart.

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.

Dane first revealed his ALS diagnosis exclusively with PEOPLE in April. “I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he shared at the time. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.” 

“I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time,” he told PEOPLE.

Although Gayheart filed for a divorce from Dane in 2018, the actress filed to have the divorce petition dismissed in March with no prejudice, per documents obtained by PEOPLE. Just a day before Dane’s diagnosis became public, Gayheart said that he and her husband were the “best of friends.”

“We are best of friends. We are really close,” the 90210 alum told E! News. “We are great coparents. I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure.”

“It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success,” Gayheart said of their relationship. “We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years, and we had two beautiful kids so I think that’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.”

The Hibiscus Coast Water Polo Club entered two teams at the annual Logan Family King’s Birthday U12 Tournament on May 30 to June 2, both brought home medals.

The club has been based at Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre since 2017. The HBC Horizons, a team new to the sport, ended with a third-place finish in the Newbie Grade. The more experienced HBC Hurricanes competed in the C Grade and emerged as champions with the gold.

They won six of their seven games. The teams include players from a range of local schools on the Hibiscus Coast, including Silverdale Primary, Gulf Harbour School, Ōrewa Beach Primary, Red Beach School, KingsWay Primary, Whangaparāoa Intermediate, Wentworth College, and Ōrewa College.

The tournament brought together 33 teams from across Auckland, Waikato and Rotorua hosted by Mountfort Park Water Polo Club in Manurewa. 

Oregon is in the market for a new pitching coach.

Blake Hawksworth, who coached at UO the past two seasons, has taken the same position at Oklahoma State.

Hawksworth, whose two-year contract was due to expire at the end of this month, earned $195,000 in salary plus $20,000 in bonuses this season.

Friday starter Grayson Grinsell (9-3, 3.01 ERA) emerged as a third-team All-American this season under Hawksworth, recording 101 strikeouts as Oregon’s Friday starter.

The Ducks led the Big Ten and ranked 15th nationally in ERA (4.10) and led the country in hits allowed per nine innings (7.1), but ranked 72nd in walks allowed per nine innings (4.14) this season. Those were significant improvements from 2024, when UO ranked 45th in ERA (4.88), 18th in hits allowed per nine innings (8.12) and 145th in walks allowed per nine innings (4.69).

Hawksworth was previously the director of operations at UC Irvine (2023), as well as pitching coach at California’s JSerra High School (2021-22), Grand Canyon (2020) and Cal State Fullerton (2017). He played also professionally for 11 seasons, including three in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Northwestern College is seeking applicants for the position of Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach. This position is a full-time, 10-month (August to May) role. Responsibilities will include administering and promoting the program in a manner consistent with the mission and goals of Northwestern’s athletic department. The assistant coach will coordinate individual workouts, recruit athletes, help with daily program operations, reflect our intentionally Christian mission each day, and develop positive relationships with athletes. Additional duties assigned within the athletic department will also be expected.

Red Raider volleyball has won back-to-back GPAC championships and ranked #1 in the NAIA the past two seasons, achieving a record of 64–4. The volleyball team was also the 2023 NAIA National Runner-Up. The Red Raider athletic department has claimed 16 GPAC regular season and tournament titles in the past two years, sent 16 teams to the NAIA postseason, and finished in the top 20 of the 2023-2024 NAIA Learfield Cup standings.

The mission of Red Raider athletics is to “Honor Christ Through Excellence in Athletics.” The department core values include grit, gratitude, Christ-like, competitive greatness, and focus. The Red Raider athletic vision seeks to bring in student-athletes who desire to excel in all aspects of their life, build them as individuals and athletes during their collegiate athlete experience, and send them to championships on the competitive surface and ultimately out into the world as graduates of Northwestern College.

A master’s degree is preferred, but all qualified candidates will be considered. Applicants must possess excellent knowledge of the sport of volleyball and have experience as a player and/or coach at the college or high school level.

Northwestern College seeks candidates with an authentic Christian faith who will embrace and live out our mission & values (nwciowa.edu/mission-values), including our Reformed, evangelical and ecumenical identity as stated in our Christian Identity Statement, Mission Statement, Vision for Learning and Vision for Diversity. We view these statements as complementary and draw from each in fulfilling our mission.

To apply, send letter of application, resume and Northwestern College application form to:

Human Resources  •  Northwestern College

101 7th St. SW  •  Orange City, IA 51041

Phone: 712-707-7223

Apply online at www.nwciowa.edu/employment

About Northwestern College

Northwestern is a Christian college in the Reformed tradition, founded in 1882 and affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. Certified as a Best Christian Workplace, we are committed to providing a standout Christian liberal arts education in the context of community among learners on campus and online. We offer bachelor’s degrees in traditional and professional programs, as well as graduate degrees and certificate programs. Our mission is to be a Christian academic community engaging students in courageous and faithful learning and living that empowers them to follow Christ and pursue God’s redeeming work in the world.

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