Eric Dane abruptly pulled out of an ALS event just weeks before he died at age 53.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum was supposed to attend the ALS Network’s Champions for Cures and Care Gala to receive the Advocate of the Year award on Saturday, Jan. 24.
But Dane was not “well enough to attend” the event “due to the physical realities of ALS.”
A spokesperson for the ALS Network told People at the time that they were “deeply grateful” for Dane’s “courage, advocacy and continued commitment to the ALS community.”
The organization also promised to honor Dane at the event with “profound respect and support.”
Broadway actor Aaron Lazar, who also has ALS, accepted the award Dane’s behalf.
The ALS Network announced in September that Dane was receiving the Advocate of the Year award, crediting the “Euphoria” actor with bringing “international attention to ALS” through his “leadership and compassion.”
“This award is more than an honor — it’s a reflection of the incredible strength and courage I see in the ALS community every day,” Dane said in a statement at the time.
From the time Dane publicly announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025 until his death on Thursday, he was involved in spreading awareness about the disease to help others.
“I think it’s imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can because I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore,” he said during a virtual panel with I AM ALS in December.
“And it’s something I’ve had to wrestle with because I’m a pretty selfish person, and I’d love for my life to be all about me, but I just can’t — I don’t think I’d be able to move forward if that were the case,” Dane added.
ALS “is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,” leading to “loss of muscle control” and progresses over time, according to the Mayo Clinic.
There is no cure.
During an interview on “Good Morning America” in June 2025, Dane revealed that his first ALS symptom was weakness in his right hand.
“I thought maybe I had been texting too much or my hand was fatigued. But a few weeks later, I noticed it had gotten a little worse,” he told Diane Sawyer.
Dane was left wheelchair-bound and had only one functioning arm before his death.
His family shared in a statement to People that Dane “spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”
They added that during Dane’s ALS journey, he “became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.”
Dane was married to Rebecca Gayheart, with whom he shared his two daughters.
The couple called off their divorce after Dane’s diagnosis.
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