Originally appeared on E! Online
Eric Dane is not going down without a fight.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” star, who revealed his ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) diagnosis in April, shared his hopes for the future with his and Rebecca Gayheart’s daughters Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13, as he fights the debilitating disease.
“I wanna ring every bell,” Dane, 52, told California congressman Eric Swalwell in a TikTok video shared by the politician on Sept. 29 from their meeting in Washington D.C. “I have two daughters at home. I wanna see them graduate college, get married, maybe have grandkids.”
The “Euphoria” actor added, “I wanna be there for all that. So, I’m gonna fight until the last breath on this one.”
Dane, who was joined by doctors and representatives from the I Am ALS organization, spoke with the congressman Swalwell about federal funding towards research for the incurable neurological disease — that attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement — also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
READ Eric Dane Misses Appearance at Emmys 2025 Amid ALS Battle
“ALS is the last thing they want to diagnose anybody with,” Dane said. “It so often takes all this time for these people to be diagnosed. Well, then it precludes them from being part of these clinical trials. That’s why Act for ALS is so great because it broadens the access for everybody.”
Dane’s visit to DC marks his first appearance since missing the 2025 Emmys last month, where he was set to present.
Since revealing his diagnosis, Dane has shared how the disease has motivated him to fight for his family and work.
“I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re very young,” he tearfully said in an interview with “Good Morning America” in June. “At the end of the day, I just want to spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can.”
And through it all, he’s not slowing down.
“I’m going to ride this till the wheels fall off,” Dane told E! News in June. “I feel great when I’m at work. Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks, but I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
