Award-winning Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane took to Instagram Monday to announce partnership with I Am ALS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The video marks Dane’s first public appearance since the actor reportedly pulled out from a scheduled Grey’s reunion with fellow alumni Jesse Williams at last Sunday’s Emmys, according to Deadline.
“I don’t know the details of that,” producer Jesse Collins said in a statement to Deadline made following Dane’s cancellation. “I was just told that he wasn’t able to make it.”
Dane first revealed his ALS diagnosis in April of this year, where he expressed he was “grateful to have my loving family by side as we navigate this next chapter,”but that indicated he would continue acting. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week,” Dane said, referring to his acclaimed portrayal of controversial patriarch Cal Jacobs in the HBO drama. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Since then, Dane has remained largely outside of the public eye. Had he been able to attend his anticipated reunion with Jesse Williams at the Emmys, it would’ve been his first major awards show appearance since his diagnosis this spring (per Deadline). To what extent the disease, which gradually progresses from milder symptoms like stiffness and muscle twitching to more life-threatening ones such as causing difficulty speaking and breathing, has contributed to his disappearance is unknown. While every case of ALS is unique, the average prognosis gives afflicted individuals an average survival time of approximately three years from first onset (via The ALS Association).
In his I Am ALS promotional video, Dane urges his audience to support the ongoing search for curing the neurodegenerative disorder. “For over a century,” he states, “ALS has been incurable, and we’re done accepting the status quo. We need the fastest path to a cure, and that’s why I partnered with I Am ALS on the Push for Progress. Our goal: a billion dollars over the next three years. Together, we’ll renew the landmark law ACT for ALS, get promising treatments to thousands of patients like me, and finally, finally push toward ending this disease.” The full video, which contains a link to the non-profit’s official website, is available below.