Former Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane is speaking out for the first time in a television interview about his battle with ALS, a degenerative neurological disorder.
“I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,” Dane said of his ALS battle in an interview with Diane Sawyer airing Monday on ABC’s Good Morning America. “It’s not a dream.”
Dane, a father of two, first publicly revealed he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in April.
In his new interview with Sawyer, the actor said that despite his setbacks, he is focused on the future.
“I don’t think this is the end of my story,” he said. “I don’t feel like this is the end of me.”
ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative neurological disorder in which the symptoms worsen over time, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The NIH notes that ALS causes motor neurons, a type of nerve cell in the brain and spinal cord, to deteriorate. That causes the muscles to weaken and eventually leads to paralysis, taking away a person’s ability to move, speak or even breathe.
There is currently no known cure for ALS, but some treatments, including FDA-approved medications and physical and speech therapies, may slow down the progression of the disorder and improve an ALS patient’s quality of life.
Dane spent six seasons on the hit ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy, where he played Dr. Mark Sloan, affectionately known as “McSteamy.”
More recently, the longtime actor portrayed Cal Jacobs, the head of the Jacobs family, on Euphoria.
Tune into “Good Morning America” on Monday, June 16, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. EDT, for more of Diane Sawyer’s interview with Eric Dane.
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