Eric Dane uses wheelchair in DC urging ACT for ALS reauthorization

Eric Dane, the 52-year-old actor who publicly disclosed an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis in April, was seen this week using a wheelchair in Washington, D.C., as he pressed lawmakers and advocacy groups to accelerate research and broaden patient access to treatments. At a meeting with Representative Eric Swalwell and representatives from the patient-led organization I AM ALS, Dane vowed to keep fighting the disease and urged renewal of legislation that supporters say is key to expanding clinical trial access.

Dane, who has appeared on Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, has spoken candidly about the rapid progression of his condition. In June he told an interviewer that his right arm had stopped functioning and that his dominant left side was weakening. This week he spoke with difficulty when approached by a photographer and, when asked for a message to fans, said, "Keep the faith, man." At the Washington meeting he told lawmakers, "I want to see [my daughters] graduate college, get married, maybe have grandkids. . . So I'm going to fight to the last breath on this one."

The actor’s advocacy during the visit focused on renewing the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for...