Sad reason Eric Dane's friend set up GoFundMe for his daughters

Eric Dane's friends have helped launch a GoFundMe for the late Grey's Anatomy star's family.

Dane, who starred as Dr Mark Sloan in the medical drama, sadly passed away aged 53 last week (19 February) following his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in April 2025.

His grieving family confirmed his death in a statement to PEOPLE, which reads: "With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.

"Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight."

The message concluded: "He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time."

Following his passing, a fundraiser was set up to help 'provide stability' for the late actor's two daughters.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday (22 February), Dane's friend Mike McGuiness shared a series of snaps of the Hollywood A-lister along with the caption: "TL;DR. My friend of almost two decades just left us after a brutal battle with ALS.

"I’m the positive spin guy and can come up with something hopeful in most any situation. This one broke me. I had nothing to say, it’s about as hopeless an affliction one could get.

"I truly don’t know if I could muster grace or dignity in that spot. Eric did."

He continued: "Candidly, I didn’t know he had it in him. Since I had very little perspective to contribute on what was clearly a death sentence, the best I could come up with was to ask him if he had anything on his bucket list. He did.

"Eric said he always wanted to go to Tokyo, so Tokyo we went. Half of Hollywood moved mountains to get us a magical experience at the Oasis show so he could just be one of the guys at a concert with his pals and not feel like wheelchair guy. It was awesome.

"We had 4 hour breakfasts daily where I got to hear about his life and updated mindset in a unique way. Enclosed are some happy pictures from that trip."

McGuiness carried on: "Eric said he couldn’t fix the past and the future was too hard to think about, so he was forced to be in the moment. On top of that, his hands didn’t work, so he couldn’t be on a phone. So in the moment he was.

"I will forever be grateful we went on that trip and for what it taught me, both from Eric’s perspective and getting to watch true service and selflessness, as Jeff did 99% of the heavy lifting on a trip with his friend who required around the clock care.

"We laughed hard, we cried hard, and we saw very little of Tokyo, but I learned more about my buddy in that week than the other 1000 times we hung out combined. Love the ones you’ve got."

Deadline reports that the now-edited caption previously included: "Covid and ALS did a number on his work life and he sadly couldn’t leave his family with the resources he had hoped. A gofundme is being made and I will post it on my story for anyone able to help. Love the ones you’ve got."

The GoFundMe, titled 'In Honor of Eric Dane', has currently raised $337,121 of its $500K goal from 3.4k donations at the time of writing.

Organised by 'Friends of the Dane Family', the fundraiser's description reads: "It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of Eric Dane after a hard-fought battle with ALS, leaving behind his devoted wife, Rebecca, and his two teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.

"Following his diagnosis, Eric became a passionate spokesperson for the ALS community, using his voice and platform to advocate for fellow patients and to push for greater awareness. Even as his own health declined, he remained deeply committed to helping others facing the same devastating disease. As his illness progressed far more quickly than anyone could have imagined, Eric's friends have come together to create this GoFundMe to support his girls and their future needs.

"Any contribution, no matter the size, will help provide stability during this incredibly difficult time and in the future for Eric’s wonderful daughters. Thank you."