PATRICK Dempsey has shared an update on his Grey’s Anatomy co-star Eric Dane’s devastating battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Eric, 53, first shared the news of his diagnosis in May last year and now Patrick, 60, has heaped praise on the actor, who he appeared alongside in Grey’s Anatomy for six seasons.
He said: “I do try to stay in touch and see how he’s doing. I think he’s been incredibly courageous in the face of this horrible disease.”
Speaking to Parade, Patrick continued: “He’s such a wonderful human being. He has such a great sense of humor, and he’s so intelligent.
“I’ve always enjoyed working and being around Eric. It’s heartbreaking. It really is. For him and for his family.
“You feel for them when you see this terrible disease and how quickly it attacks the body.
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“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.”
Patrick stars in upcoming crime thriller series Memory of a Killer and confessed he was keen to work with Eric again on the new show.
But he told how his condition had made it “virtually impossible”.
Patrick added: “I’ve been texting with him. We were trying to get him in [the show] but unfortunately, the progression of his disease made it virtually impossible.
“But I was happy to see that he was here in Toronto working on, I think, another medical drama.”
Eric appeared on a virtual panel for IAMALS.org last month where he admitted how he felt about his brutal diagnosis.
What are the symptoms of ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
In the early stages, the symptoms can be subtle, but as the disease progresses, they become more noticeable.
Here’s a look at what to watch out for:
- Weakness in a limb, which develops over a few days or weeks
- Slurred speech or difficulty swallowing
As ALS progresses, you may experience more common symptoms such as:
- Muscle twitching and cramping, especially in the hands and feet
- Loss of control in the hands and arms
- Trouble using your arms and legs
- Tripping or falling more often
- Dropping things
- Extreme fatigue that doesn’t go away
- Uncontrollable laughing or crying
- Slurred or thick speech, and difficulty projecting your voice
In the later stages, ALS can cause:
- Difficulty breathing
- Trouble swallowing food or liquids
- Paralysis
Some of these symptoms may be caused by other health problems. Always see your doctor for a diagnosis.
He has lost mobility in his arms, has changes to his speech, and uses a wheelchair, due to the disease which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
An emotional Eric explained: “I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day.
“I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying.”
However, the brave star revealed that he would continue on with his acting and said that he wasn’t going to give up yet.
He said: “I’m not about to concede my purpose for some disease. I just am not capable of doing that.
“I’m fairly limited in what I can do physically as an actor but I still have my brain and I still have my speech so I’m willing to do just about anything.
“I’ll take on any role, but I think from here on out it’s going to have to be ALC-centric.”
In the US, it’s estimated that around 30,000 people are living with ALS, while in the UK, the number is approximately 5,000.
There is no cure for the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
It typically affects people between the ages of 40 and 70, like Eric, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
And while it can be inherited in some cases, most instances are sporadic, meaning they occur randomly without a family history of the disease.
Those diagnosed typically live, on average, just 27 months after their diagnosis – but treatment can help manage the symptoms.
