The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Eric Dane, who has died at the age of 53 following his battle with ALS.

To many fans, he will always be Dr. Mark Sloan — “McSteamy” — on Grey’s Anatomy, a character whose confidence and charisma became part of pop culture history. But beyond the screen persona, Dane’s final chapter revealed a different kind of strength.

The First Symptom He Almost Ignored

In 2025, Dane publicly shared that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In an emotional interview on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer, he described the first sign that something wasn’t right.

He noticed weakness in his right hand — subtle at first.

Initially, he dismissed it.

He thought he might have been texting too much. Maybe his hand was fatigued. It didn’t seem serious enough to cause alarm.

But over the following weeks, the weakness worsened.

Concerned, he visited a hand specialist. Then another. Eventually, neurologists became involved. Nine months after those early symptoms appeared, he received the diagnosis.

“I’ll never forget those three letters,” he said, referring to ALS.

Going public with the diagnosis in April 2025 was not easy, but Dane chose transparency over silence, determined to stay ahead of speculation and use his voice for awareness.Understanding ALS

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord — the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement.

As these neurons deteriorate, the brain loses the ability to initiate and control muscle function. Over time, this leads to:

Muscle weakness and stiffness

Twitching and cramping

Loss of coordination

Difficulty speaking or swallowing

Breathing complications

According to the Mayo Clinic, early symptoms often begin in the hands, feet, arms, or legs — sometimes as mild weakness or clumsiness. Slurred speech or trouble swallowing may also appear early.

As the disease progresses, essential functions like chewing, speaking, and breathing become impaired. There is currently no cure. Most patients live three to five years after diagnosis, though each case varies.