Actor Eric Dane is now under round-the-clock medical surveillance following the progression of his battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
His ex-wife, Rebecca Gayheart, spoke about the “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” star’s current condition in a Dec. 29 essay for The Cut, where she revealed that “Eric has 24/7 nurses now.”
Gayheart continued to detail his care schedule: “The week is divided into 21 shifts. There are times that shifts aren’t covered, so I cover them. There was a 12-hour shift recently that I could not cover. I could only do four hours because of all the stuff that the kids are doing. So I had to call on two of Eric’s friends, one of them who had never really taken care of him in that way. I thought, ’I can’t believe I had to ask someone to do this,’” she wrote, revealing that Dane’s friends did a “wonderful” job caring for him.
Dane, 53, publicly revealed his diagnosis in April to People, saying, “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
ALS is a rare and fatal disease that affects the nervous system, according to the Mayo Clinic. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain and spine that control muscle movement, causing patients to 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.
Gayheart has served as Dane’s primary caregiver throughout his ALS battle, despite them separating in 2017 after 15 years of marriage. The pair never divorced and share two daughters together.
BRENTWOOD, CA – JUNE 03: Actor Eric Dane and actress Rebecca Gayheart attend the 16th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 3, 2017 in Brentwood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)FilmMagic
“It’s a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people. Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love,” Gayheart wrote in her essay for The Cut, sharing that they haven’t lived in the same home for eight years and have both dated other people.
“Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him,” Gayheart continued, adding, “And I know he would do the same for me.”
She explained that one of the toughest parts of her estranged husband’s diagnosis is the lack of privacy from the paparazzi. “We went to have sushi one night, and it was the first time I had to unload the wheelchair and open it and get Eric into it on my own. And oh my God, I was sweating bullets and there were people watching and taking pictures and I was so upset because I was really struggling,” she said.
However, Gayheart revealed that Dane’s disease has made her empathetic. “Eric’s diagnosis has changed my approach to everything. Even with strangers, sometimes I’ll be standing on line to get my coffee and I’ll just look at them and go, I wonder what they’re going through. Because I know everyone is going through something,” she said.
Despite Dane’s round-the-clock care, he has no plans to retire from acting just yet. He spoke at a panel hosted by the I am ALS organization on Dec. 2, where he explained how he planned to keep appearances in Hollywood, per USA Today.
“I’m fairly limited in what I can do physically as an actor, but I still have my brain, and I still have my speech, so I’m willing to just do about anything. I’ll take on any role. From here on out, it’s going to have to be ALS-centric. It’s going to be very difficult for me to play any other role,” he said.
“I’m fine with that,” he added. “I’m grateful that I can still work in any capacity.”