Eric Dane Eric Dane reflected on the earliest signs of ALS in his posthumous memoir, My Book of Days. The late Grey’s Anatomy actor recalled initially dismissing tingling and numbness in his right hand. However, the symptoms returned and became more severe.
Dane first noticed the symptoms while eating sushi with his children on January 7, 2024. He suddenly struggled to control his chopsticks and felt tingling and numbness in his hand.
Eric Dane reportedly recalls his first ALS symptoms in posthumous memoir
“I’m eating sushi with my kids and suddenly I can’t work the chopsticks with my right hand,” Dane wrote. He initially attributed the problem to a nerve issue or excessive texting and brushed it off.
According to Page Six, the symptoms returned three weeks later, this time with greater intensity. Dane wrote that he could no longer properly grip the chopsticks.
The second incident marked the beginning of a nine-month search for answers. Dr. Mark Terrelonge, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco, eventually diagnosed Dane with ALS.
Dane publicly announced his diagnosis in 2025. At the time, he said he felt grateful to have his family supporting him and asked for privacy while they adjusted to the news.
He later discussed with PEOPLE the early symptoms during a June 2025 appearance on Good Morning America. Dane said weakness first appeared in his right hand, but he did not initially consider it serious. As the condition progressed, he said his dominant arm eventually stopped working and his left arm also began losing strength.
The Eric Dane memoir also described how ALS affected other parts of his life. In another passage, Dane recalled a frightening vacation incident. His daughter Georgia and her friend helped save him from drowning after he realized he could no longer swim.
He later called estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart and told her what had happened. Dane wrote that they both cried during the conversation. Gayheart admitted that she had feared such a moment would eventually come.
Dane died on February 19, 2026, at age 53, following his battle with ALS. His memoir, which detailed his diagnosis and the progression of the disease, was scheduled for release on November 3.
