Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey gives sad update on co-star Eric Dane following ALS diagnosis
Patrick Dempsey has provided worried Grey's Anatomy fans with a health update on co-star Eric Dane this week, after the actor revealed he'd beed diagnosed with ALS.
For those out of the loop with the gut-wrenching news, 53-year-old Dane announced he was battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - sometimes known as Lou Gehrig's disease - back in April of last year.
The rare degenerative disease is a variation of motor neurone disease that affects the strength of a person's muscles, especially those in the arms and legs, causing them to trip and drop things for frequently.
Weeks after first taking his diagnosis public, Dane told Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer that ALS was affecting the entire right side of his body, leaving him with 'one functioning arm' and severely weakened leg muscles that almost cost him his life during a swim attempt last summer.
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Despite the 'Dr Mark Sloan' star also telling E! News, 'I'm going to ride this till the wheels fall off', since the new year kicked off, Dane has remained alarmingly quiet online.
As we say, however, Dane's former cast-mate Patrick Dempsey this week shared an update on his close friend's health.
Sadly, the 60-year-old began by revealing he hadn't seen Dane in person for a while, despite the actor previously being scheduled to appear in a new hit TV series, Memory of a Killer, which was released over the weekend.
"I spoke to him a few weeks ago," Dempsey told Parade on Wednesday (28 Jan). "I’ve been texting with him. We were trying to get him in, but unfortunately, the progression of his disease made it virtually impossible."
The 'Dr Derek Shepherd' star - who departed from Seattle Grace Hospital in 2015 after 10 years on the show - continued: "But I was happy to see that he was here in Toronto working on, I think, another medical drama."
Dempsey also went on to share his thoughts on Dane's current health status.
"It’s very hard for him, but I do try to stay in touch and see how he’s doing," he claimed. "I think he’s been incredibly courageous in the face of this horrible disease. He’s such a wonderful human being.
"He has such a great sense of humour, and he’s so intelligent. I’ve always enjoyed working and being around Eric."
Of the 'heartbreak' Dane's condition has inflicted upon his family, the Maine-born star continued: "You feel for them when you see this terrible disease and how quickly it attacks the body.
"But he’s bringing a lot of light to that, and he’s using his platform in a positive way. I wish him the best."
Topics: Grey's Anatomy, Celebrity, US News, Health
Rhianna Benson